


Make You Feel My Love

by StarChaser93



Series: Make You Feel My Love [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Attempt at Humor, First Time, Fluff, Grisha is a Dick, M/M, Marriage, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Physical Abuse, Pregnancy, Prince Eren Yeager, Sexual Content, Surrogacy, Verbal Abuse, soo much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 04:38:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 210,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4863482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarChaser93/pseuds/StarChaser93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is Trost's strongest soldier, he's Captain of the Special Ops Squad and he's also the only chance Trost has to end their long war with Maria. Eren is Maria's Prince, he's beloved and respected by all of his people, he's also the only hope Maria has to survive their long struggle against Trost. </p><p>What neither of them expected was an arranged marriage to try and solve all their problems. Fun fact: it doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Caught in the storm

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys, this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Please be kind!! :P  
> I promise I'll try and update as quickly as possible!

Levi slumped in his saddle the metaphorical black cloud over his head storming like a motherfucker. In fact, their entire convoy was looking pretty fucking bleak as they slowly rode towards Maria. Levi rode at the front between Commander Erwin Smith and Hange Zoe, as they were trying to brief him on the details for the coming week. He wasn't listening to them. He couldn't. His feet were twitching in his stirrups just aching for him to slam his heel down and run in the opposite direction, his left eye twitched every time Erwin even spoke and as for Hange, well it took all of his effort not to fling himself of his horse and crash tackle her to the ground just to try and get her to shut her shitty mouth.

It had started a month ago when Erwin had summoned Levi into his office pulling him from training the newest recruits. He had thundered upstairs and slammed open Erwin's door ready to yell at his commanding officer for the interruption when he stopped still at the people in the room. There were 5 people situated in the small office. Erwin sat behind his desk calm and collected as always and Hange was bouncing from foot to foot next to him but he had never met the other three, he had seen their pictures before however. 

The first was Rico Brzenska, a small, slight woman with shoulder length blonde hair and silver eyes, she was well known for her brutally honest attitude and her ability to make even the cockiest of men whimper under her glare. The second was Nile Dok, average height and build with a thin moustache and goatee, he was seen as a pretty rational man with no strong inclination to any decision but the ability to process and see both sides equally and offer sensible yet indifferent opinions. The third and last was Dot Pixis. Pixis was eccentric at best, an expert strategist and powerful leader yet he loved taking risks and gambling on the outcome. Unfortunately the risks he loved the most usually involved people or sometimes entire countries and it was almost chilling to see him remain light hearted and almost cheerful in the midst of chaos.

Rico Brzenska - Adviser to the King of Maria

Nile Dok - Diplomat and chief tactician of Maria

Dot Pixis - Commander of the Marian Military force as well as a close friend to the Marian King

The fact that all three were here in the same room as Erwin, Hange and himself was enough to make him stop dead in the doorway. Maria was the kingdom they shared a border with. They were also the kingdom Levi, Erwin and the rest of Trost had been fighting and struggling with for years. It started out with petty border skirmishes but the way things stood now it would turn into a full blown war if the people making the calls didn't pull their fingers out of their asses and do something to fix it. Levi was unfortunately part of this group as Captain of the Special Operations Squad and Trost's strongest soldier.

Levi stepped forward, every eye in the room staring at him. Erwin gestured for him to take the empty seat across from, Levi just glared and situated himself standing against the wall.

"Levi, I'm glad you could join us" Erwin said. Hange was now glancing back and forth between Erwin and Levi, her eyes lit up as if she knew the best secret in the entire world and was just waiting for the moment she could spill.

"Didn't have much choice, did I, shitty eyebrows" Levi responded dryly. He was taking in the people in the room, Rico looked mildly pleased but wary, Nile a little defeated but still on guard, Pixis was smiling at him his eyes gleaming evilly, Erwin ever the picture of stoic calmness looked only slightly ruffled but Hange was who worried him. She was excited and an excited Hange was never ever a good thing.

"What the fuck is happening?" Levi all but growled.

"Can I tell him, Erwin?! Please?!" Hange begged.

"Levi, you should sit for this" Erwin sighed. 

"Fuck no. Now tell me what the fuck is going on" Levi really did growl now. 

"Well, good news is we have all agreed on a way to bring our kingdoms together peacefully" Erwin said. Levi's mouth turned slightly upwards, finally this would be over, but then Erwin continued "Bad news is it directly involves you."

Oh god, no. 

"We have agreed its best to show a united front and for that we need a strong alliance" This time it was Rico speaking and Levi's eyes darted to her. The fucker was smiling.

"As Trost's strongest soldier and a symbol of power for your kingdom you are vital for our plan to work" Nile continued. 

This wasn't happening. Fuck. Shit. 

"King Grisha has agreed to the plan and I believe he is quite happy about it. This war has been too tough on us" Pixis spoke now still smiling at Levi.

"Us as well. Levi, it is important that you listen to us and agree on this course. We need this to happen, you of all people know we cannot continue in this way much longer." Erwin was speaking again, his tone laced with urgency.

Levi was beginning to panic. He's not going to get a choice. His heart sunk at the realization. This _plan,_ and he was pretty sure what it was by now, was already decided on. His agreement was only a formality at this point.  

"What... what the fuck is the plan" Levi ground out trying to cover his growing panic.

"You're going to marry a Prince! Isn't it exciting!" Hange screamed. They all turned to glare at Hange as she broke out into a huge grin and then back to Levi.

"Fuck NO." Levi said, walking out the door. He heard Pixis say "Well that went better than expected" and Rico mutter "At least he didn't break anything" before he slammed the door closed with a resounding crack.

 

 

***

 

Hange found him later that day on the training field. Levi was sparring with cadets. Well, he wasn't sure you could call it sparring when all the cadets did was let themselves get hit over and over and fall into the dirt. Filthy fuckers.

"Don't kill the cadets Levi!" Hange called out, Levi hit a cadet particularly hard after hearing her voice and the boy fell to the ground clutching at his ribs. 

"Get the fuck away from me, shitty four-eyes" Levi growled.

She laughed and kept coming closer. The cadets were staring between their two superior officers and when Levi gestured for them to leave they all but tripped over themselves to get away.

"We need to talk about this, Levi" Hange said from right next to him trying to place her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"I'm not marrying some shitty brat. Find another way" Levi glared up at her. He was a good couple of inches shorter but as Hange said all the time his attitude more than made up for what he lacked in height.

"It's the best way. Erwin can't do it you know he's too old and it would be super creepy not to mention terrible for poor Eren. There's no one else who can but you plus you're getting old and you definitely need to settle down" Hange laughed, eyes glittering.

"I'm 27 not 40, you fucker." She grinned with all her teeth.

"There's no fighting, no more death and we will get an alliance out of it" Hange said softly, showing a rare streak of sincerity. Then it ended "And you will get a cute husband too!" She was grinning like a maniac again, sincerity gone.

"I don't want a cute husband!" Levi yelled making Hange's grin impossible big. "Fuck! I don't want a husband at all!"

"I've seen him, trust me Levi, you'll want this one!" At this Levi punched Hange on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright!" Hange held her hands up in truce. "I'm sorry Levi but Erwin told me to come tell you to get used to the idea because its happening whether you like it or not".

"Fuck, I know." Levi groaned. "I know it's already decided. Once that shit-stain gets and idea in his head it's happening. Fuck, Hange, I can't get married." 

"Well, its not for a month yet. Take some time to get used to it, its not all bad" Hange took a step back and then her face split into a shit eating grin and she yelled as she started to run "Think of all the sex you can have!" Levi glared and watched as she streaked back into the building her crazy laugh echoing behind her. 

 

***

 

And now a month later Levi hadn't been able to get out of it. No amount of negotiations or yelling or physical violence would do it. He was packed up and sent away with Erwin, Hange and the rest of the Special Operations Squad, popularly known as Squad Levi, to make the weeks trek towards Maria and towards his future husband.

"Levi!" Erwin sounded frustrated and Levi turned his steely glare on him. "You haven't heard anything I've said have you?"

"No." Levi replied. Hange was snickering again.

"Fine but at the very least hear this." Levi's eye twitched again. "This wasn't mentioned in the meetings for a few reasons and although I'm sure Pixis, Brzenska and Dok know what's happening they simply aren't allowed to say anything but it is part of the reason why this decision has progressed so quickly usually these things take a year at the very least."

Levi raised his eyebrows. He didn't know it had been that quick, he thought this was how it was done. A decision was made and it was better to execute it quickly. Apparently not.

"It has to do with Prince Eren." Levi scowled at the name. His future husbands name. Fuck.

"It's been brought to our attention that he is not being treated well by his father." Levi's eyebrows flew up at this. He glanced at Hange's murderous expression and then at Erwin's. He was serious. "And while it really is none of our business we couldn't help but intervene. This plan was made to benefit everyone but especially with Prince Eren in mind. It does stop this war and give us a much needed alliance but it will also get the Prince away from Maria and away from the King."

"Not to say I don't give a shit but why do you? Why does anyone in Trost care about what happens to a Marian Prince?" Levi said.

"Prince Eren is loved by a lot of people." Erwin replied "His mother was loved even more. When she died and the King started to become unbalanced I believe that everyone in Maria came to care for that boy. Pixis and Dok have watched him grow up while Rico was the Queen's advisor before she died and I believe cares greatly for his well-being. And while no one can say anything it does not stop them from doing something."

Hange spoke up next "Eren's mother was originally from Trost and honestly she still holds a lot of respect with our people, she was a good person and I think that the only reason this alliance will work is because of her. Trost takes care of their own and while Eren is half Marian he is also half us and we will protect him." Hange smiled and laughed at Levi "Even if that means marrying him to you."

Levi didn't respond but his feet stopped twitching in the stirrups and his gaze locked on the horizon waiting for the Marian gates to come into view. He had a mission now. A duty to get that kid out of there and he wouldn't run from it. 

 

 


	2. Carry On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe people are reading this!! :D Enjoy!!

Eren thought he was taking the news pretty well. No one was dead yet at least. There _had_ been two injuries however (one of them was Jean and he honestly couldn't say for sure it wouldn't have happened anyway) and okay yeah the other was entirely his fault. Although he will swear to his dying day that the book flew off the shelf entirely of its own accord to nail Nile Dok right in the jaw when he had informed Eren of his impending marriage. 

He groaned and pulled his blankets up over his head at the sound of knocking at his door. Today was the start of his cleansing week. It was a tradition for Marian royalty to spend the week before your wedding cleansing your mind, body and soul in preparation for your life after marriage. Marriage, fuck. Eren cringed at the word. 

At least he got to spend today with his friends and yes it was meant for goodbyes and shit but there was no way in hell he was going to stop seeing his friends. God help the person who tried to stop him. Even when he was married and living far away he knew they would find a way to be in each others lives, Mikasa and Armin wouldn't ever let him get away from them. 

The knocking on his door turned to thumping but he just stuffed his pillow over his head and buried himself further into blankets to muffle the noise. This whole week was going to suck, he thought. He knew he would have to spend three of those days having his body thoroughly cleaned. Fuck knows how someone could spend _an hour_ cleaning someone let alone three whole days but he was sure they would find a way.

Today was spent with friends and family to say goodbye to his old life (in his case he was spending the whole day with just Mikasa and Armin). One day was spent alone in an empty marble room in meditation to prepare his mind, another day was spent kneeling in church to prepare his soul or spirit or some shit and the last was spent alone in his room fasting to complete the cleanse and wipe away all traced of his old life.

To Eren the whole thing was complete bullshit. Like there was anyway praying or meditating was going to make him forget or give up his life. Nothing would ever come between him and his memories of this place, his friends and his mother. He was nervous and pissed off and his mind was going a mile a minute and he was sure having to spend a week alone and in silence was going to kill him long before he even had the chance to get married.

The thumping turned borderline violent and Eren threw his blankets away and yelled "Fuck! Fine! I'm fucking up already!"

The door opened and he heard a soft laugh. Mikasa's head popped in and she smiled at him "Really Eren that's no way to speak to your sister on what could possibly be the last day you ever see her".

Eren groaned but his mouth lifted into a smile. Mikasa was really only his half sister and the whole thing was quite scandalous for Marian royalty, Mikasa's mother, Ana, had been betrothed to their dad and they had only been married 6 months before Mikasa was announced to be on her way but then Grisha had met Carla, a young woman from an elite Trostian family and had completely fallen for her. Carla became Grisha's mistress and in Ana's eighth month Carla announced her own pregnancy. It was strange but people always said that Ana and Carla had become friends, Ana did not love Grisha and had not wanted to be married to him but she had become happy in her pregnancy and content at the idea of her child. While Carla did love Grisha but had no desire to be Queen and only wanted her and any of their children loved and claimed.

Ana had died before she got to make it to Mikasa's second birthday, a fever had taken her quickly and the whole kingdom mourned the loss of their Queen. Carla had then opened her arms and her heart to Mikasa and loved her just as much as her own mother could possibly wish for. It took her two years but Carla did eventually agree to marry Grisha and become Queen. Eren and Mikasa had grown up inseparable and when they were five they met Armin who was the son of the newly hired gardeners and he seemed to fit in perfectly with the two royal children. 

Mikasa stepped into the room interrupting his thoughts and a shorter blonde boy followed close behind her. Armin. Today was a good day he decided. Fuck the next week, he would focus on a day off spent with his best friends.

"You really should be up already Eren we're wasting our last day together" Mikasa said coming over and helping him straighten out his blankets on his bed. 

"There is no way this is our last day together, Mika. I will sneak back over the border if I have too." Eren replied stonily. Mikasa put a comforting hand on his shoulder and then stepped into him to give him a hug.

"Of course not Eren. I'm sorry if it sounded like that but I meant for this week. You're going to be secluded and no one can see you but the maids and... and..." Mikasa trailed off her voice going scratchy. Eren hugged her back tightly. He knew how she felt the two of them hadn't been separated for more than a few days at a time for their entire lives and this week was only the start of something much worse.

"I am not starting this week with tears, Mika." Eren said gently brushing away the small drops that had escaped. Mikasa never cried but when it came to her brother there was always an exception. Mikasa nodded and then smiled.

They stepped back from each other and Eren turned to look at Armin. "How did you manage to get the day off? I thought you were completely buried under work?" Eren asked his smaller friend.

Armin grinned and said "I may have done and all-nighter as well as foisted some of it off on Nac, he gets all the really boring stuff". Eren laughed and walked over to hug him in greeting. "There was no way I was missing today for work." Armin's face fell a little at the thought of what was to come but Eren only laughed again and headed towards his bathroom. 

"Give me ten minutes to get ready and we'll go and eat." Eren called to his friends, Mikasa and Armin nodded and proceeded to make themselves at home on his bed.

The bath was already full and his clothes laid out, a maid must have snuck in while he was asleep to get everything ready. Not that she really would have had to sneak anywhere, Eren was notorious for being able to sleep anywhere and through anything. Once a fire had broken out in the left wing of the Palace and through all the chaos nobody noticed Eren missing, not until the next morning when officials went through to assess the damage and found him sound asleep in his bed in a fire damaged room. Eren smiled at the memory remembering his half-worried half-crazed mother and sister after he had been discovered. 

15 minutes later Eren was dressed and ready for the day, he grabbed Mikasa and Armin and led the way to the dining hall. The food was always excellent and today was no different. Eren grabbed a cloth off one of the tables while Mikasa and Armin were piling handfuls of food into their arms, they placed it on the outstretched cloth and Eren pulled the corners up to carry it all away. They all ran slightly giddy out of the room and through large glass doors into the open courtyard and grounds. The weather was beautiful today, hot and sunny with a cool breeze whistling through their hair. The three friends found a place under a tall tree and set up their makeshift breakfast picnic. Eren was stuffing more food than he thought possible into his mouth while Mikasa and Armin were picking at bits and pieces of everything. It was a silent agreement that they let Eren have free reign over the food as they knew the next week food would be in short supply for Eren. Another fun part of cleansing week. Joy.

They spent the entire day outside enjoying the sun and the company and openly ignoring the obvious. They managed to make it to after lunch before the M word was mentioned and it was Armin who brought it up.

"I know we aren't meant to talk about it but I just need to know something" Armin said quietly. Eren glared at his friend but sighed when he saw the genuine distress on his friends face. "Are you going to be all right?"

Eren's stomach twisted and he felt the claws of panic returning and setting in. He had done such an amazing job of pretending today. Pretending he wasn't getting married. Pretending he wasn't scared to death. And pretending he wasn't filled with panic at the idea of what his father might do if he tried to run. He breathed in slowly and rearranged his carefully placed mask of ease and smiled. Eren thought it was probably more of a grimace but it was the best he could do.

"Armin, we've been through this. I'll be fine. I'm prepared for this plus being the youngest I've been resigned to an arranged marriage for most of my life, I won't inherit a crown so I have to marry into one. And if this marriage stops this damn war before it kills everyone than I am more than ok with going through with it." There, Eren thought, I was even able to convince myself. Almost.

"Ok Eren." Armin sniffled "But what if he's not a good person? What if he tries to hurt you? What if-"

"Armin!" Eren interrupted him before he full on spiralled "It doesn't matter if he's a good person if it stops people dying I am ok with what I get and you know I can hold my own in a fight if it comes to that."

Armin nodded numbly. Eren leaned over and hugged him awkwardly "I promise I will be ok. Plus I'm sure you and Mikasa have already thought of at least twenty possible ways to see me so it's no big deal". It is a big deal, Eren was screaming to himself, I don't think I can let them go! But he plastered on a smile for his friends and changed the subject completely.

Eren fell into bed that night completely exhausted. He slipped into unconsciousness with a smile on his face as he thought of his friends and trying as hard as he could to not think of the upcoming week.

 

***

 

Cleansing week began horribly. He was woken up absurdly early and given very little to eat for breakfast and then swept away by two older women to the empty wash rooms where he was scrubbed within an inch of his life for the next two hours. The day comprised of not just washing but a full body treatment. His face was moisturised and weird smelling gunk was rubbed all over it, his nails were cleaned, cut and buffed and his hair was cut and styled. It should of been relaxing but the constant pulling and scrubbing was enough to make his hair stand on end and his teeth grind. And yes, they did manage to find a way to spend the entire day cleaning him. It continued with meditation the next day which was not enlightening but comprised of Eren losing all feeling in his legs for the better part of the day and when he tried to stand they gave out and he fell flat on his ass. 

Another wash day was next and the same process repeated itself. God knows why anyone needs to be this clean! Church day was worse then meditation. He lost feeling in his legs again from kneeling so long and when he tried to pray he felt stupid and then couldn't stop the snorts of laughter escaping his mouth, to the horror of the priest residing over the chapel. Another cleaning day was next and he thought that those two women must have scrubbed off at least five layers of skin by now, if they kept going Maria would have to present a completely skinless man to Trost. The last day was almost relaxing. He was finally alone in his own room. He would have to spend some time packing a few things he was allowed to take with him but for now he laid on his bed listening to his stomach growl at him and demand food. It had been a week since his last proper meal, he had only been given meagre amounts of fruit and bread and water over the last seven days and today he was not allowed to eat anything at all in order to complete the cleanse. Fuck this fucking tradition his stomach was yelling at him. 

Eren groaned and rolled of his bed trying to distract himself. What could he take with him? First thing he grabbed was a framed picture of his mother, she was very young and beautiful in this photo and Eren smiled at her familiar grin. He also picked up the photo next to it, it was an odd picture but it was one of his favourites, it included himself, his mother, Mikasa and Queen Ana. It was taken at Mikasa's first birthday and Eren was still a baby but everyone seemed so happy and relaxed with one another that it comforted him. He place the two pictures carefully into his bag and grabbed the last photo from his desk, this one was of Eren, Armin and Mikasa at Armin's 18th birthday party. They had stolen some wine and were slightly tipsy as the photo had been taken, they had wide grins and glazed, happy eyes and they held onto each other tightly (whether it was out of friendship or the need for balance Eren couldn't quite remember).

He threw some other keepsakes into the small bag and then laid back down on his bed. His mind immediately went where he had forbidden it for the whole week and he was so hungry and nervous that he just let the thoughts overtake him. Thoughts of his future. His new home. His new husband. His new life. He was panicking now, his mind reeling.

What the ever loving fuck had he gotten himself into?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one was a bit boring but next chapter we get more Levi! And a wedding.. maybe :P


	3. I Won't Back Down

They had arrived at the border of Maria yesterday but it had taken an entire day to make their way to the palace meaning they would arrive only the day before the wedding. Levi had to admit it was a pretty place, it was too warm for his taste much preferring Trost's weather but it had its charms. Hange had been talking the whole time as they made their way towards the palace, she kept trying to inform Levi about Marian culture and traditions and things he should and shouldn't do but Levi had tuned her out a long time ago. He wasn't a fucking child, he knew how to behave in high society. 

It was mid afternoon when they arrived at the palace and it was time for everyone to dismount and go inside. Fuck he was nervous. He had gotten off his horse but hadn't moved an inch. He finally noticed the enormous white marble building right in front of him and was staring slightly awed at it. It was beautiful with high windows and open spaces and was surrounded in an aura of grandeur and class. Levi swallowed, ok maybe he should have been listening to Hange talk. 

Speaking of, Hange walked over to him, grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. "Come on Levi, we can't just leave everyone waiting. You have a Prince to meet!" Levi groaned but it was enough to snap him out of his funk, disentangle his hand from hers and walk stiffly behind Hange towards the front door. He stood at the front with Erwin beside him and Hange on Erwins other side, the rest of their company stood behind them in military formation. They had only brought about ten people with them. Squad Levi of course (made up of Eld Ginn, Petra Ral, Olou Bozado and Gunther Schultz) and then a few other people came along in an official capacity to witness the wedding. The large doors opened and Rico, Nile and Pixis walked out to greet them. Levi's brain had completely checked out by now and he couldn't be sure what was being said but it was polite and official, there were handshakes and salutes and then finally they were stepping inside.

The first thing Levi noticed was how clean the room was, it was pure white and all but sparkled with polish. Then he realised that no one else had arrived. No King. No Prince. No member of the royal family had come to welcome them. It made his stomach twist with impatience and his eyebrow quirk in surprise. It was a basic courtesy for royals to greet their important guests. Rico seemed to have notice his slight change and turned towards him.

"I'm sorry the King could not be here to greet you but he is currently tied up in an important meeting and while the crown Princess is not at home at the moment she is due back soon. We thought that you may also like to see your rooms and wash up before meeting everyone officially over dinner" she said smoothly. Levi grunted in agreement and moved to follow Rico as she led the way up the stairs and towards the guest rooms.

He was shown into a large room with an oversized bed, bathroom attached and a closet for clothes. It was a beautiful room decorated in soft, happy colours, the windows were open and a cool breeze was blowing in. 

"I'll be back in a few hours to show you to dinner but for now there are towels in the bathroom and a bath should already be prepared. If you need anything let Mina know" Rico gestured to a short girl behind her dressed in work clothes. A maid. 

"I'll be fine" Levi grunted out and dismissed the girl and Rico. He knew it was probably rude but right now he didn't give a fuck. He needed a bath. He need to get all the grime and filth from the road off him and he needed to be alone. The door snapped closed behind Rico and he could hear her talking with Erwin and Hange, they were most likely apologizing for him. 

He made his way inside and walked into the bathroom. Rico was right, a bath was full and steaming with hot water. Cloths and towels were stacked on shelves and there was an assortment of body washes and soaps laid out next to the bath. He sighed in relief and pulled all of his clothes off, folding them neatly and placing them off to the side to be washed. He stepped into the bath and almost moaned at the feeling of hot water on sore muscle and he quickly slid the rest of his body into the water. He didn't know how long he spent there but it was a relief that his mind had shut down for the duration, he couldn't deal with thoughts of Eren or weddings or fancy dinners at the moment. His panic from simply just being in Maria was elevating and he was almost able to enjoy his time soaking in the hot water.

He heard a knock on the outer door to the room and then heard a voice calling out "Sir, I'm just here to deliver you clothes." He nodded but didn't feel the need to answer. There was shuffling noises on the floor and the sound of clothes being put on hangers and hung up. He heard the door close again and then sighed preparing to extricate himself from the bliss of his bath in order to be ready for dinner.

Dinner. Where he would meet the King and Crown Princess and Prince. He would meet Eren tonight. His relaxed state immediately disappeared and was replace by fear and a churning in his stomach. What was Eren like? What if he was a horrible, spoiled brat? Most likely, Levi thought. He was raised here as royalty. He's had people waiting on him his entire life. Wait until he sees his new home in Trost, it was probably going to put the Prince into shock. Levi chuckled darkly at the thought and started to dress himself for dinner. The Prince was definitely going to have to get used to doing things on his own. Levi lived at Trost Military base, he of course had his own rooms but they were nowhere near the luxury of this place, there were no servants either and everyone was expected to pull their own weight. If he was lucky the Prince may just run back home when he sees it.

Levi had been ready for ten minutes when there was another knock on his door. He called out a greeting and Nile Dok proceeded to step into his room. 

"Dinner is ready, sir, if you'll follow me to the dining room" Nile was formal in his speech and Levi knew it was below his pay grade to be escorting guests to dinner but Levi recognised it as a show of respect and stood up to follow Nile out. They walked silently down long hallways neither one of them wanting to speak. 

They finally stepped into the dining hall and Levi's head snapped up searching. His eyes first landed on Hange and Erwin and then on the man next to Erwin. He was tall with straight black hair and glasses. He looked serious and exuded an air of power. King Grisha. Eren's father. His gaze swept over the King and was drawn to the beautiful young woman next to him. She had waist length black hair and dark eyes, she was lithe and strong and she was glaring at him. He glared back.

"Ahh, Levi!" Hange called. Everyone looked over at him, their eyes taking him in and sizing him up. The dark haired girl now looked positively murderous.

Levi nodded back and walked forward to stop in front of the King, he bowed his head and then extended his hand in greeting. King Grisha stood and gripped his hand firmly in return.

"Your Highness, thank you for your hospitality" Levi said politely. See, Hange? He could be fucking civil. 

"Thank you, Captain, for coming all the way to us. We are grateful that we are able to see Eren married" Grisha replied smoothly.

"Of course. We would not take that away from you" Levi said.

"You were very accepting of this condition. You did not wish to marry in your own Kingdom?" Grisha asked.

"No, I'm not worried where I'm married" Levi said. It was more of  _who_ that he was worried about. He looked around the room again trying to find someone who fit the description. There was no one.

"Ah, if you are looking for my son I apologise but he's not here. He is currently in his cleansing week and will not be present until the wedding, it is an important part of Marian tradition" Grisha looked a little surprised at having to explain his son's absence. Fuck, Hange had probably mentioned this today. He really should have paid attention.

"No, it's no problem, Your Highness. I was merely curious to meet Prince Eren." 

"Of course, of course! Arranged marriages are always somewhat nerve-racking. I remember when I met Mikasa's mother for the first time" The King had a small smile on his face as he gestured toward the girl next to him. Mikasa, the Crown Princess and Eren's sister. Guess that explains the particularly deadly glare Mikasa had cemented on her face and directed at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Mikasa." Levi ground out.

"Likewise" Mikasa replied with more venom than he would have thought possible for one word. He raised an eyebrow but otherwise let the girl go. She was obviously very protective of her brother and he didn't mind as long as she kept herself in check. Mikasa he understood it was the King who was puzzling him. From all the reports and information he had received, King Grisha Yeager was fast becoming unbalanced and even violent but he couldn't see it tonight. He kept a careful eye on the King all through dinner and didn't see anything but a kind man eager to see his son married. Levi concluded that Grisha either had put on an amazing façade tonight or was simply not what the reports had said.

Conversation turned to the wedding the next day and Levi tried to tune it out and focus entirely on his food. He didn't want to hear about the musicians or the fucking flowers or anything to do with  _decorations._ All he wanted was for the brat to not be well a  _brat._ He sighed as he heard Erwin asking about guests. That shitty eyebrows always had at least 10 plans in motion and Levi was sure that he was using this wedding as an excuse to make important connections within Maria. 

The meal was over and dessert was on its way. People had stopped trying to speak to Levi after a few awkward conversations and with both Hange and Erwin engaged already and the rest of his company far down the table he was looking around curiously. That's when he noticed the Princess still glaring at him across the table next to her father. That's it fucker, Levi thought and brought his gaze to meet hers. They spent a few good minutes trying to see if they could murder the other simply by glaring but apparently people had noticed because at the same time Mikasa flinched in her seat and looked over at the blonde boy next to her did Levi received a solid kick to his shin from Hange.

"Behave" she muttered. Levi had to close his mouth tightly before the very childish response of 'she started it' spewed out. He couldn't believe he was losing it like this, usually there was not a lot that fazed him, annoyed him yes but never really fazed him. He was putting it all down to this shitty wedding. This shitty wedding and the god damn palace and the motherfucking brat he was apparently not even going to see until they said I do.

Dinner ended without any more incidents. Levi excused himself to his room earlier than was socially acceptable and received a few irritated looks from other dinner guests but as he walked away he heard Hange laughing it off with a "He has to get his beauty sleep for the big day tomorrow." Levi usually would have hit her but tonight he just grimaced and escaped while she distracted them.

He crawled into bed that night and tried to sleep but it was impossible. He couldn't turn his brain off. He couldn't stop thinking about Eren and his mind was starting to go to some crazy places as he drifted in and out of sleep. Eventually light poured into his room and he was up and washing himself thoroughly. Breakfast was delivered soon after but he wasn't able to each much, his stomach turning at the idea of food. He dressed in his formal military uniform and combed his hair. He splashed water on his face trying to rub away the dark circles under his eyes but it didn't help and then he sat and waited. He tried to pick up a book and read but he couldn't concentrate. He also started to clean before he realised his room was already immaculate so he sighed and sat on a chair and resigned himself to waiting.

It was a good few hours before Hange knocked on his door and poked her head in.

"All ready?" she asked grinning. Levi only grunted a reply and stood up.

"I know you haven't heard a word I've said this whole trip" Hange said and Levi grunted again "but I'm going to explain today nice and quick so you know what's going on".

Levi only nodded his whole body tense. 

"So, you'll go into the church first and stand up the front. It's very important you don't turn around until you hear the doors close, it's tradition that you don't see him until then, oh but Erwin will let you know! Eren will be escorted down the aisle by Mikasa, usually its the Queen but in this case the Princess can. All you have to do then is join hands and repeat after the Priest and boom you're married!" Levi snorted at that.

"You take Eren's arm and escort him back down the aisle and outside. Erwin and I will find you then and we'll go from there! It's just dinner and a lot of dancing after and then you two get to leave" Hange was giggling hysterically now "And then you guys get to do the deed. You know, shake the sheets, rock the room, the lust and - "

Hange was interrupted by a swift punch to the shoulder and a savage look. She just laughed and pulled him up to the steps of the church. Levi blinked not realizing they had even reached the church. He thought he had more time. Fuck this was going too fast. Time was speeding up he was sure of it. One second he stood outside the doors next second he was standing in front of everyone without knowing how he'd even gotten there. He faced the priest and felt Erwins hand grip his shoulder in support. He'd usually throw it off but in this moment it was grounding him. Erwin removed his hand as he heard doors open and people sigh. He heard footsteps. His heart was pounding, his hands shaking. The door scraped against the ground as it closed. Erwin tapped his shoulder letting him know he could turn. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned around.

His eyes locked on the boy making his way down the hall.

And Holy Fuck was he beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 


	4. First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

Eren watched the sun rise on his wedding day. He was too worked up and hungry to even contemplate sleep and to be honest he was waiting by the door for the moment breakfast would arrive. That moment never came. Apparently tradition took the fast in breakfast literally and he was left to listen to his stomach screaming at him for the morning until there was finally a knock. Eren bolted up and slammed the door opening staring out hungrily but there was no food just the same two women he had spent the majority of the week with. He repressed a groan at the lack of food and then let them in. They carried a big trunk in with them and set it on the floor by his bed and then proceeded to open it and pull the contents out. There were piles of clothes and jewellery and shoes now spread out over his bed, all perfectly ironed and pressed and waiting for him.

"Your Highness, you should go wash your face, you look tired" one of the women, Shay, said kindly. She also passed a small parcel over. "This is from your sister. She knows she can't see you yet but she wanted you to have it today."

Eren took the parcel and then went into the bathroom as much to have privacy as to wash his face. He sat on the edge of the bath and opened the package letting out a laugh and grinning. An apple, a chunk of bread and a chocolate muffin were now sitting on his lap. He tore into the muffin almost swallowing the thing whole and groaned in pleasure at the taste of food. Thanking God or whoever for the creation of his sister he looked at what else was in the parcel. A thin silver chain sat underneath the apple with a heavy filigree cross hanging on the end. Eren stared at it in amazement and knew there were tears trickling down his cheek. Thankyou, Mikasa, you really were sent from heaven. Finishing the muffin and starting on the apple Eren pulled out the small note under the necklace.

_Eren, I know you haven't eaten in forever so Armin and I snuck this_

_in for you. Eat! I don't want you passing out at the alter._

_The necklace I took from Dad's vault. Please don't let him see it!_

_But I knew you needed a piece of your mum with you today,_

_keep it hidden and I'll handle Dad if he notices._

_Armin and I wish you luck and I'll see you at the church!_

 

_P.S Your future husband is short and angry._

 

He grimaced at the last line. Short? Angry? Eren sighed, Mikasa would have hated anyone betrothed to her brother so he took most of what she said with a grain of salt. But then Eren smiled and picked up the necklace placing it gently around his neck. It was the same one his mum had worn on her wedding day and he was so incredibly happy to have it with him, he had been fully prepared to suffer through the familiar ache in his chest when he missed his mum too much. He knew it would still be there but his mum's necklace would lessen the ache significantly. He was about to devour the bread next but there was a tapping at the door and Shay called out that they needed to start dressing him. He sighed stuffing the bread and apple core onto the top shelf for hiding, the cloth and note into a draw and then splashed a bit of water on his face.

He knew the water would do nothing to fix his face. He had dark circles there from his sleepless night and his face was paler than normal due to the week spent indoors. He looked terrible. He left the bathroom and the two women tutted at him and got to work. They didn't even blink at the new silver chain around his neck.

First came tan pants. They were form fitting and slid perfectly over his long legs. Next was a white button up shirt made of fabric that felt amazing on his skin, the shirt was tucked into the pants and then tan suspenders were attached to his pants and lifted up to his shoulders. His collar was flipped up next and a delicate golden cravat was tied around his neck and then a finely brocaded golden vest was buttoned up over his chest. His heart was pounding louder as more clothes were piled on, he felt like he was being suffocated by fabric and resolved to just stand there and breathe while the women did everything else. They probably wouldn't have let him help anyway. 

He then stepped into knee high black lace up boots, one woman attending to each foot. They then stood back to look at him, Shay smiled and the other woman, Nina, nodded happily. Apparently he was acceptable. They then made him sit down while they attended to his face, hair and nails. And in the one day he hadn't seen them his nails were chipped and jagged, he may have subconsciously been chewing on them out of nervousness for the past 24 hours. They tsked and tutted while they cut and buffed his nails and then moved on to style his hair. 

They didn't do much to it as it was a pretty unruly mess but they wet it and combed a majority of it to one side and even allowed a little piece of his fringe to fall back on his face. His lips pulled up slightly at the familiarity but then the women started on his face. They were scrubbing it and putting stuff on it with brushes and the whole time he wiggled uncomfortably. When he finally got a look in the mirror he was surprised to find that he still looked like himself, a healthier more vibrant version but still him. There was nothing excessive or over the top, the two women had simply brought out the colour and life to his face again. His hair was neat and refined and the outfit was tailored to perfection.

Nina helped him into his coat, it was black and made of exquisite fabric with golden dress buttons. It wasn't made to do up but stay open to show off the vest and cravat. There were golden buttons on his shoulders and two smaller ones above the short tails on the back. It had a a high stiff collar that fit snugly around Eren's neck and folded cuffs on the sleeves.

Golden chains were placed around his neck, crosses and jewels to show of his status but he only really felt the small silver chain now pressed right against his chest. Eren thought he was done, he didn't think there could possibly be anything else they could force on him but he was so wrong. The last item was a beautiful white cloak. It sat perfectly on his shoulders a gold tie loosely knotted over his neck and it fell all the way to his feet, swishing as he moved. It was perfect but there was no way it was cold enough for this thing and Eren forced back an unhappy groan at the idea of sweltering under it all day.

Nina was talking now telling him why it was necessary "All brides wear white dresses but we had to think of something else for you, this was the closest we could get. It's made of the finest fabric and it shows of Marian tradition". Eren was nodding, it was beautiful but it was going to have him sweating before he even reached the church.

There was the sound of bells and Nina and Shay immediately whisked him towards the door. "Time to go, dear" Shay whispered and then nudged him outside. He stumbled slightly but a hand caught him and held on. He looked up and... Mikasa! She was finally here! Tears were threatening to fall just at the sight of her. She rushed in and hugged him quick and hard. Eren hugged her back harder. She looked beautiful in a golden strapless dress that fell to her feet, she was almost as tall as him as well which meant she had braved a pair of high heels. Her hair was loose and flowing in straight black waves down her back and he even detected a small amount of make-up around her eyes and on her lips. He held out his arm and Mikasa threaded hers through it and they began walking the silent halls, content just being near each other again.

"You clean up nicely, little brother" She whispered. They had reached the door leading outside and were met with hordes of people. There was a wide path down the centre where Mikasa was pulling him toward and then walking up. Everyone bowed their heads as they walked past, these must be the people not able to get into the church but who still wanted a glimpse of the royal wedding. He plastered on a fake smile and waved with his spare hand trying to give the people what they wanted. Mikasa was doing the same. They made an impressive couple as the walked towards the church, matching in light golden colours and exuding the aura of power and class with which they were born to.

After a long time they reached the doors of the church to have two uniformed men open them and bow at the waist. Eren's heart was beating rapidly and his hand had curled into Mikasa's and was holding on for dear life. He walked over the threshold and took in the sight. The church was enormous and everyone was on their feet straining to get a look. He swallowed loudly but still couldn't move. He felt a slight pressure on his hand and Mikasa tugged him forward gently. It was then he stared straight down the aisle and got his first look at his future husband.

His first thought was that Mikasa was right. The man was definitely short. He could only see his back at the moment but next to the giant blonde man he looked tiny. Mikasa squeezed his hand and then looked pointedly from him to the man up the front with an eyebrow raised as if to say 'I told you so'. He was about to reply but it was then he heard the solid thud of the doors closing behind him and everything went into slow motion.

The echoing of the doors faded and Eren was drawn to watching the man, Captain Levi Ackerman, up the front as he slowly and gracefully turned his body towards him. In that moment Eren was captivated by him. He had creamy alabaster skin and such fine features, his nose was small and straight and his eyes a deep steely grey. His hair was raven black and parted straight down the middle, styled into an undercut with ends just brushing the top of his ears. He was definitely short but Eren thought it suited him plus he kind of liked the idea of being taller than the other man. 

He was fast approaching the end of the aisle and he still hadn't been able to rip his gaze away from Levi. They were staring at each other, lips parted and breathing shallow as the distance closed between them. When Eren was only a metre away he began to shake violently, Mikasa gripped his hand tighter and tried to walk a little slower but they ate up that metre anyway. And then Eren was right in front of him. Mikasa pulled out their entwined hands and moved to place both of his over Levi's outstretched ones. And finally skin touched skin and they were holding hands.

Levi's hands were surprisingly cool in his but he still couldn't look away from Levi's face not even to watch Mikasa retreat to her position just behind him. The priest was speaking but Eren honestly couldn't hear or understand a word he was saying. He was just staring at the man in front of him. Levi apparently was in the same position as he had to actually be tapped on the shoulder and told that he needed to repeat the words the priest was saying.

"I, Levi Ackerman, take thee, Eren Yeager, as my lawfully wedded husband" Levi's voice was breathy but strong and it was effecting Eren badly "to have and to hold, to honour you and accept you and to always be at your side. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live". Levi let go of Eren's left hand for a moment and his tall blonde friend leaned over and placed a gold band into it. It was simple but perfect. Eren could see Levi's fingers shaking as he spoke again "With this ring I thee wed" and then gently guided the ring onto Eren's finger, his eyes moving away for a second to look at their hands but they snapped back as soon as the ring was placed.

And then it was Eren's turn. 

Prompted by the priest Eren opened his mouth only to choke on his words. He couldn't speak. He felt a slight pressure on his right hand and watched as Levi nodded gently at him trying to help ease the words out of his mouth. His voice was rough as he spoke "I, Eren Yeager, take thee, Levi Ackerman, as my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to honour you and accept you and to always be at your side. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live". Mikasa handed him the second gold band and he repeated the next line "With this ring I thee wed". His hands shook much worse than Levi's as he tried to slide the ring on, but the shaking proved to be too much and he kept missing. Levi's right hand moved up and gripped Eren's strongly to stop the shaking and to help guide the ring down. When it was done Levi and Eren's hands automatically joined together again and they stood waiting, motionless and in shock in front of the priest.

The priest was talking again but this time Eren heard every word "You may now seal your promise with a kiss". His eyes widened. Fucking hell, he was going to have to kiss Levi in front of all these people. Fuck! He started to tilt his head down but before he could move Levi's lips had connected with his own. It was soft and sweet and quick but it left Eren's lips tingling and his face blushing bright red. Eren looked over and saw Levi's small smirk. 

It was only after they had begun their walk back down the aisle, officially married, did Eren smile as he realised that Levi would have had to stand on his tippy-toes in front of everyone in order to kiss him. 

 

 


	5. Give a Little Bit

Levi had stopped breathing. Eren was devastatingly beautiful. His sun-kissed skin and chocolate hair, his soft pink lips and straight nose but most of all his eyes. They were a brilliant sparkling emerald. A deep, alluring colour he had never seen before and it was magnetic. He just needed to be closer. Levi only had fractured memories of the ceremony but he clearly remembered Eren's face, his shaking hands and his rough, sweet voice. He remembered the kiss very well and blushed slightly when he thought how he had stood on the very tips of his toes to reach up to Eren's face. He had known Eren was leaning down but somehow he just couldn't wait and it was almost painfully how much he needed his lips on Eren's.

And then they were walking outside hand in hand into the bright sunlight of mid-afternoon. Levi wondered just how long they had been inside because it had definitely not been this late when he had entered. They stood opposite each other just staring not having any idea what to do next or where to go. They could hear the crowd of people cheering and applauding at the couple but didn't look over. 

'I've only just met the brat and I'm already struck fucking dumb' Levi scolded himself. He opened his mouth to speak when a pair of arms flew around both his and Eren's neck. He knew it was Hange before he looked over, knowing she would be the only person dumb and excited enough to try and crash tackle them on the steps of a church.

"Oh wow! You two are just so cute!" she squealed. Levi growled but before he could curse at her they were joined by Erwin, Mikasa, King Grisha and a small blonde boy. Mikasa had stepped up and hugged her brother, effectively pulling his hand out of Levi's and was now whispering in his ear. The blonde boy walked over and hugged Eren as well while Erwin had gripped Levi's hand in congratulations and Hange was still bouncing around.

After a moment Mikasa took the Kings arm and they led the procession back up to the palace. Levi offered his arm to Eren and Eren slid his arm into place and they followed the King and Princess. Erwin and Hange were right behind followed by the rest of the guests inside the church.

And now they sat next to each other at a high circular table. This particular table seated about 10 and was reserved for the most important guests (the royal family, Levi, Erwin, Hange, Rico, Nile, Pixis and Eren's blonde friend). He could see some of the officials from Trost mingling with Marian dignitaries over on other tables. Erwin was holding a conversation with the King and Pixis, Mikasa was speaking to Eren quietly, Rico and Nile were talking softly and Hange was consumed in a conversation with Eren's friend. Which left Levi to staring at his food and stealing glances at his husband. Fuck, Eren was his husband. He was fucking married. Fuck! 

He hadn't spoken a single word to Eren since their vows. Their walk to the palace was overwhelmed by the noise from the Marian people and even if he wanted to talk there was no way Eren could have heard him and then they had sat down for dinner. Eren had immediately been swept into a conversation with his sister and now thirty minutes later it still didn't look like she was going to let him go. Levi was getting annoyed, he just wanted to speak to the boy but with him immersed by Mikasa and his back slightly to him there was no polite way Levi could get his attention and he refuse to full on grab him and pull him over.

So he was glaring moodily at his food, eating some but not really tasting it. He had noticed that Eren had pretty much inhaled his food on sight and then looked really depressed when he realised it was all gone. He even heard the poor kids stomach growling loudly, so when he thought Eren wasn't paying any attention to him he quickly and quietly slipped his two bread rolls onto Eren's plate and returned to his meal. He watched as a couple of minutes later Eren looked back at his plate and his eyes grew comically wide at the sight of more food. He looked around before his eyes landed on Levi and he saw him smile. It was the first real smile Levi had seen on Eren's face and it made the colour rise to his cheeks. One smile from the kid and he was blushing. He was so fucking screwed.

"I think Eren broke him" Hange giggled to the blonde kid full well knowing Levi could hear her.  Levi turned on her and gave her his best death glare but after all this time Hange just smirked and went back to her conversation completely immune. Dessert was served soon after and Levi only took a few small bites of his food before glancing at Eren's plate. It was empty. How fucking fast could that kid eat? That look of depression crossed Eren's face again at the lack of food and in a moment Levi had swapped out their plates. Leaving Eren with an almost full plate and Levi with Eren's empty one. Eren's face blushed at the gesture but didn't hesitate to plunge back into the food. 

Hange poked him and he turned to yell at her for interrupting but it was then he was tapped on the shoulder and Levi turned back too quickly, his face ending up mere inches from Eren's. "Thankyou" Eren whispered. Levi was about to respond when there was a chinking of glass near them and they both looked over to see the King standing with his glass raised.

"I want to thank everyone for coming and celebrating this day with us." There were cheers from the guests. "First of all, I want to welcome Captain Levi Ackerman of Trost into our family and although they will be leaving tomorrow we hope that we will see them often" Levi heard Eren swallow loudly beside him, he was staring wide eyed at his father but Levi couldn't understand why. Surely Eren knew they left for Trost tomorrow? 

"Secondly, I want to take this opportunity to appreciate everyone who contributed and worked so hard for this alliance to come about. We are lucky to be here knowing that a time of peace is upon us and that there is no more need for war." More cheers and clapping from the crowd. 

"And lastly, I wanted to say that I am very proud of my son and hope that he will find happiness in his new life in Trost with his husband." Levi looked over at Eren again, the wide eyes were gone and in their place was a very fake smile. Well, it looked pretty fake to Levi.

"Please raise your glasses in congratulations for Prince Eren of Maria and his husband Captain Levi Ackerman of Trost!" The King led the guests in raising their glasses and then he took a deep sip of wine. He glanced over at Eren and Levi and it was quick and Levi wasn't sure if it really happened but he would swear he saw a look of disgust flick over the Kings face but in another second it was gone and the smile was back.

Eren and Levi both raised their glasses in return and took small sips. There was more applauding from the crowd and the King was speaking again directly at Levi. "Captain Levi, if you wouldn't mind indulging us in another tradition but I'm sure everyone would love to see the newly wedded couple have their first dance." Levi was so happy he had already swallowed his sip of wine otherwise he was sure it would have been spat back out to stain the tablecloth. He rearranged his face into a relaxed smile, looked briefly over at Eren and then nodded stiffly to the King.

"Excellent!" the King boomed and there were more cheers and laughter from their guests as everyone stood up to make their way to the adjoining ballroom. Hange leaned over and whispered "Don't worry, you're an excellent dancer." She then patted his knee and stood up to be escorted by Erwin.

They waited for everyone to leave before Levi stood and offered his arm to Eren who looked as nervous as Levi felt. It wasn't a matter of talent that had Levi worried but more of the dynamics. He had never danced with another man before. Who was meant to lead? He hoped Eren knew what to do because Levi was drawing a blank. Eren led them out of the dining room and into the ballroom where they stood together in the centre.

The decision was made for him as Eren gripped his hand in his own and then placed the other on Levi's waist drawing them closer. The music started and it was a beautiful slow song that filled up the whole room. Eren stepped and Levi followed. It was easier than he had imagined accepting Eren's lead and as embarrassing as it was for Levi to admit his short stature made him fit perfectly against Eren. Eren was an amazing dancer and together they whirled slowly around the room with only a few small fumbles.

"Hi" Eren whispered his breath tickling Levi's face as he spoke. Levi's lips turned up at the awkward greeting. 

"Hi" Levi whispered back. 

"I'm Eren" he said softly. Levi snorted at that but played along.

"Levi" he replied. Eren's face relaxed when he realised that Levi was going to go along with him.

"It's nice to meet you, Levi" He could feel Eren calming down now that they were able to talk a little. 

"And you" Levi replied. The song was beginning to fade and they could hear people clapping and see them raising glasses in salute. They broke apart and bowed their heads in thanks to the crowd. The music started up again and couples started making their way onto the dance floor to join them. Eren held out his hand to Levi silently asking for another dance but before Levi could take it a small feminine hand had grabbed hold. 

Levi looked up to meet Mikasa's eyes and she smiled and said  "Can I cut in?" It wasn't actually a question but Levi nodded and with one last look at Eren's face he tried to walk off the dance floor. And by try, he means that Hange found him and forcibly swept him back out. 

"I told you so" was the first thing out of her mouth. 

"What the fuck are you talking about, shit for brains" It came out a little angrier than he'd meant but he was pissed that Mikasa had interrupted him and Eren and he was more than likely going to dump all of his anger onto Hange now.

"I said you'd want him" Her tone was light and teasing and more than annoying. "Didn't I say you would?! I met him a few times when I came here for negotiations and I knew! I just knew it!" She had started to cackle and it was drawing attention to them.

"Shut up, I don't want him, he's just a shitty brat" It was a terrible, terrible lie. Levi knew it and so did Hange. She just cackled louder.

"You like him!" She was almost singing in her glee now and Levi was gritting his teeth and trying so hard not to hit her. 

"I-" Levi was cut off as someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Mikasa. He hadn't even realised the song was over.

"May I?" This time it was actually a question. Levi nodded again and Hange skipped away to find someone else to annoy. Mikasa placed her hand on his shoulder and they awkwardly began to dance. Mikasa surprised him by speaking first. "My brother sent me to talk with you." Levi's eyebrows flew up at that. 

"Well, mostly he wanted me to play nice but I decided it was a good chance for us to have a discussion." Ok, that sounded more plausible. She continued to speak her eyes darkening, "My brother is the most important person in the world to me. I don't want him to go anywhere, especially with you, but I understand from a political perspective that this is the only option left for our countries."

"I agree" Levi said sharply. "I only accepted for the benefit of peace. I don't want to be here any more than your brother does, I'm sure." The words felt like a lie now. He did want peace but a growing part of him really wanted Eren now too. 

She sniffed at that and continued at a snarl "Nevertheless if I hear even a whisper of Eren not being treated right I will personally come to Trost, rip out your organs and strangle you with them". Levi probably shouldn't have laughed at that but he did, it was low and short but Mikasa heard it and was not amused. 

"Listen up, asshole. I promised his mother I would protect him and I will do everything in my power to keep that promise." Mikasa was pissed, her voice venomous but it was her words that caught Levi. She was deadly serious about protecting Eren and Levi actually felt a little relieved. Eren had someone in his life willing to do anything to keep him safe and he knew Mikasa would stay in Eren's life forever, no matter what, and that in itself was reassuring. 

He looked up at Mikasa and spoke sincerely  "Your Highness, I promised I would always be at his side and I do intend to keep that promise. He will not be harmed by me or my country as long as I live." They had stopped dancing awhile ago and were now simply facing off in the middle of crowded dance floor. Levi bowed his head to Mikasa and hoped she would believe him.

She huffed "I still don't like you but I do believe you. You'd better keep him safe." She then turned and stalked away to probably try and find her brother. 

Levi spent the rest of the night wandering around the room a glass of wine in hand and constantly being approached by people. They gushed and laughed and sucked up to an incredible degree. He caught only glimpses of Eren throughout the night but he was always surrounded by important looking people and it looked as if Mikasa was attached to him as well. It was very late when the King spoke up again calling over the crowd "I do believe it's time for Prince Eren and Captain Levi to leave us" there was laughter and a few drunken catcalls (Levi swore he could hear Hange) but the King ignored them and continued "they do have a long day ahead of them tomorrow and should get some rest".

Levi walked toward the King, glowering. He had been hoping they might be able to slip away quietly without anyone seeing them. Apparently not. Eren had made his way forward as well a tight smile on his face and Levi held out his arm to the Prince again. Eren gripped it and to the sound of more cheering and applause they left the room. They were met by a young woman in work clothes who nervously led them  down hallways and up a staircase until they reached a door. The woman bowed at the waist and swiftly walked away without looking back. Neither Eren or Levi had spoken a word to each other the whole way there, both too nervous to try making complete sentences.

Levi sucked in a breath and opened the door to their new room. They stepped inside and Levi closed the door, they would only use the room tonight as they were leaving tomorrow but Levi was still overwhelmed at the luxury. It was a huge room, probably bigger than all of Levi's space at military base put together. He heard a sigh next to him and looked over at his new husband. Eren's face was tinged in a red blush, his hands were shaking as he ran them through his hair and Levi could see his lips quivering.

Well, fuck. What were they supposed to do now?

 

 

 

 


	6. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying this!!  
> Small warning there is a bit of violence in this chapter but not too much! :D

Eren had walked with Levi to their new room. It was the fanciest guest room they had, if they had been staying in Maria it would have become their permanent quarters but as it was it would be reserved for them when they visited. Eren was shaking again. He had wanted to spend time with Levi at their reception to try and talk with him but Mikasa had managed to monopolize a lot of his time both during dinner and then after. He didn't blame her and if he hadn't been so interested in Levi he would have been glad for the distraction but as it stood anyone who spoke to him was just irritating.

He had been happily surprised at dinner when he had looked back at his empty plate to realize it had more bread rolls on it. His first thought was that Armin had somehow managed to sneak him more food but as he looked over Armin was completely engrossed in a conversation Hange Zoe from Trost. Then his eyes landed on his husband and he noticed the faint blush and how Levi kept glancing over at him and then looking back to his plate in embarrassment. Eren had smiled genuinely at him for the first time and then bit into the first roll hungrily. He hadn't had a proper meal in a week and he knew he was being messy but his growling stomach didn't seem to care much for etiquette.

Later when he had inhaled dessert at an inhuman speed his husband did it again. Quickly swapping out their plates and giving Eren another _almost_ full plate. Eren had felt his entire face growing red but he was too hungry to care and dove into his second dessert. He had then turned to face Levi while Mikasa was distracted only to see Levi's back to him. Mikasa was almost finished with her food and Eren had known she would pull him back into conversation so he had quickly tapped Levi on the shoulder. What he hadn't expected was for Levi to turn around so quickly that Eren hadn't had a chance to pull back and they had ended up with their faces much too close. Eren's blush deepened but he managed to get out a "Thankyou" before the King had started speaking.

They had managed to have a brief conversation during their first dance and Eren really hadn't wanted to let go of Levi, he was still nervous and would always hate the way this marriage happened but he was here now and well his husband was fucking stunning, but Mikasa had intercepted like a pro. She had spent their whole dance talking irritably about Levi and as his temper flared he had sent her off to at least try to speak with him. After that he only got glances of his husband who was always surrounded by hoards of people and the fact that Eren himself was encircled with important people didn't help. He had had to answer so many petty and increasingly invasive questions as the night wore and his temper was wearing thin.

But they had finally gotten to leave and now they were here, standing inside an enormous bedroom next to a monstrous bed just staring at each other blankly. 

His hands were shaking as he tried to run them through his hair to hide them but he only succeeded in dishevelling his neat hair. His heart was pounding so loud he was sure Levi could hear it and the nerves were starting to make his lips tremble. He was going to step forward, he was definitely going to say something when Levi moved first.

"I need to wash up" was the only thing he said before he strode quickly into the bathroom.

This was it, Eren thought, but he was nowhere near ready for this to happen. He had spent the last week specifically trying not to think of this moment but now he was here every worry and every idea was pouring out. His hands were shaking so violently it took him 5 minutes just to get the cloak off, he had no idea how he would undo the buttons on his shirt and vest. Maybe Levi would want to do it? The idea made him convulse with nervous energy. He couldn't do it. There was no way he could go through with this. It was ridiculous! He had only met the man today and he was expected to fuck him?! No. Just fuck no. But he was expected to do his duty and he wasn't even sure he could refuse his husband on their wedding night no matter how he felt. 

His eyes were prickling with tears. People had told him it would hurt and Levi _was_ known as Trost's strongest soldier. He was sure Levi could overpower him so best to just accept it and let it happen, right? Maybe it would hurt less if he didn't struggle. The idea was making him freak out, part of him already half way to the door ready to run. He wanted to run straight out of this room and right to Mikasa or Armin. But he couldn't and his brain was trying to adjust making him just want to cry. Fuck he hadn't cried in a long time but the tears were coming full force now.

Levi still hadn't emerged from the bathroom so he just tried to continue undressing. His jacket was slipped off and thrown over a chair, his boots untied and placed near the door and then he undid his cravat but he left it hanging loosely around his neck. It was at the moment he was trying to get the buttons of his vest to comply with his fingers that he heard Levi step out and into the room. Eren looked up and saw Levi's face change from nervous to full blown panic as he noticed the tears and Eren's half undressed state.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He cried. Eren looked confused.

"I'm sorry. Do.. do y-you want to do this part?" He choked out gesturing to the buttons.

"Fuck no!" Eren's confusion deepened and he just stood there dumbfounded.

"Fuck." Levi groaned dragging a hand over his face in frustration. "We're not doing anything tonight, brat."

The immense relief Eren felt at those words made him back up and flop down on the bed, sighing deeply.

He heard Levi walk over to him and felt the bed dip as Levi sat down. Eren sat up quickly and brought his legs up to sit cross legged shuffling further in to sit comfortably. Levi was looking uncomfortable and it surprised Eren when he actually spoke "Look, I'm sorry. I just needed to wash my face and think I didn't mean for..." he just waved his hand at Eren's disposed clothing.

Eren blushed but his tears had stopped so he didn't really care. There was another awkward silence which neither of them seemed willing to fill, they just sat quietly on the bed.

It was a good few minutes before Levi broke it by saying "there are clothes in here, right?" Eren nodded and jumped off the bed walking to a chest of drawers where he pulled out soft sleeping clothes.

"And the maids will bring our clothes for tomorrow in the morning" Eren answered. 

Levi nodded, stood up and walked over to Eren to collect his set of clothes, "You can use the bathroom. I'll change out here."

Eren smiled softly and took his clothes to the bathroom to change. Now that sex was off the table his nerves were almost completely gone and his fingers made light work of all the buttons and he swapped the wedding clothes out for the other much more comfortable set. He washed his face and cleaned his teeth and then stopped in front of the bathroom door. Would Levi still be changing? 

"Levi?" He decided to call out behind the closed door.

He heard a snort and "I'm dressed, brat" before he opened the door and walked over to the bed again. Levi sat on the edge in soft navy blue linen pants and a grey shirt that was a little too big on him. Eren walked to the other side of the bed, pulled down the covers and slid in. Levi had turned the lights off and then slipped into the bed as well. It was pitch black as they lay there together.

"Goodnight, Levi" Eren whispered turning to face him.

"Goodnight, Eren" Levi whispered back.

Eren had a happy little smile on his face as he closed his eyes, relaxed and let the exhaustion completely overtake him. Maybe this wasn't so terrible after all?

 

***

 

Eren woke to a hand gently shaking his shoulder, he groaned and turned away trying to scoot further into the depths of the bed. He heard a sigh and then felt the hand shaking him again a little firmer. 

"Nooo..." he moaned, successfully drawing up all the blankets around him and cocooning himself inside. 

"Come on, brat, we need to eat and get on the road" The voice was enough to startle him wide awake. It was Levi. Memories of the previous day flooded his brain and he blushed crimson when he realised he had childishly hidden inside what was basically a blanket fort in front of his husband. He popped his head out and looked over to where the voice came from and saw Levi fully dressed for travelling and staring at him with amusement on his face. 

He jumped out of bed, grabbed his fresh clothes and bolted to the bathroom without looking at Levi. He heard a muffled laugh behind him as he closed the door. He dressed quickly in comfortable travelling clothes and light hooded cloak, splashed water over his face trying to dull the blush and when it didn't work he just gave up and walked out. Levi watched him as he approached but didn't say anything. Their clothes from the previous day had been taken away when fresh clothes were brought in and Eren didn't have anything else with him so he joined Levi at the door and they left their room together.

The walk to the dining hall was awkward as fuck. Nobody spoke as Eren lead the way and when they reached the room they drifted over to a table and sat down together. It was very early and after last night there were very few people present, mostly those who would be leaving for Trost. Again Eren devoured his food, his stomach almost fully recovered after the cleansing week, and then he just watched as Levi neatly and precisely cut and ate his food. He had coffee too and held the cup in a strange way which Eren decided he was definitely going to try later.

It was while Eren was sipping his own coffee that he was approached by Rico Brzenska. She smiled softly at him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Eren had always like Rico, she was straightforward and no nonsense plus his mum had respected her and that held a lot of weight for Eren.

"Your father would like a word before you leave, Eren. He's in his study." Eren gulped at her words but stood up and with a brief goodbye and an "I'll meet you out the front" to Levi, Eren left the dining room and made his way to his father's study. What mood was his father in today? He could never be sure. Eren was positive it had to be good today. He had gotten his wish, Eren was married and there was peace in their Kingdom. There should be nothing to be angry about.

When he stepped into the study, closed the door and turned to face his father he immediately recognised the look on his face. It was hatred and disgust and it was directed entirely at him. Eren gulped, this was not going to go well.

"Sit down, Eren" Grisha spat. Eren moved quickly to the chair and sat. His hands were in his lap and they were trembling. Ever since his mother died 8 years ago his father had slowly become unbalanced. It had started out small but now he had drastic mood swings with barely a reason and his tempered flared much too easily. Worst of all it was almost purely aimed at Eren. Although he was forever thankful his sister wasn't effected.

"You understand the importance of this alliance, correct?" His father asked angrily. Eren nodded but it wasn't enough "Speak up child!"

"Yes father, I understand" Eren replied quickly.

"You say you understand yet I don't see it. You don't seem committed enough son." Eren was confused but he didn't dare say anything. He had learned the hard way not to talk back to his father. Grisha continued in a venomous tone "The guards outside your door last night report they heard nothing of interest and the maid who brought your clothes in this morning said that both of you were fully dressed". Eren's mouth dropped open in shock. His father had posted guards? Oh god, his father wanted confirmation they had fucked. His face burnt red again out of embarrassment and anger at the invasion of his privacy but he kept his mouth closed.

"So I take it you did not do anything?" His voice was dangerous at this point and Eren tried to collect himself enough to come up with a good lie but he was a terrible liar and his father knew it. "You said you understood your duty, son. But your actions seem to disagree." Grisha stood up and walked around the table to stand next to Eren's chair. 

"I'm sorry, father" Eren whispered. It was all his brain could come up with. His legs were trembling now too. And then his father snarled and kicked his leg out to topple Eren's chair over. Eren fell hard, smacking his head on floor. His vision went fuzzy but it was not enough for his father. "You're sorry?!" He yelled bending over to grip Eren's arm and pull him up.

"Sorry does nothing" he growled and pushed Eren against the wall. Eren tripped over his feet and hit his head, this time against the wall. His father stalked after him roughly grabbing his upper arm and slammed him into the wall again. His vision was spotted black and his head was throbbing painfully but he didn't make a sound. Yelling or screaming only seemed to make it worse.

"You useless fuck, you are the only thing keeping our Kingdom stable" He was growling low and threatening right in Eren's face "God knows why anyone thought you were capable of doing this. God knows why I agreed. I'm glad your mother isn't here to see this. She would be completely ashamed of you." Tears had started falling at the mention of his mother and that was in itself was a terrible mistake.

The tears seemed to enrage Grisha and he grabbed Eren's wrist and twisted his arm up at a sickening angle. Eren cried out in pain but Grisha kept applying pressure until suddenly they both heard an audible crack. Eren saw red. White hot pain lanced up his arm from hist wrist and shocked him. His father had never broken anything before. Eren was consumed with pain and panic and tried frantically to get away.

"If this alliance is broken" Grisha snarled "our entire Kingdom will break. You _will_ follow your duty and do everything necessary to keep your marriage intact. Do you hear me?"

His voice was low and dangerous. Eren nodded. And just as quickly as his rage had come it disappeared. He let Eren go and strode back behind his desk. Eren slumped to the ground cradling his broken wrist and sore arm against his chest. He wobbled as he stood and tried to quietly make his way to the door. His hand touched the doorknob and he flinched as he heard his father's voice again. It was threatening and terrifying.

"I don't want to hear anything unsettling son. Remember your duty and do _everything_ expected of you." 

Eren took his chance and escaped as quickly as possible. He then pulled his sleeve down over his now swollen and purpling wrist and gathered his cloak around him hiding his arm from view. He couldn't do anything about the throbbing in his head or the black spots in his vision but hope it went away quickly. He finally reached the front door and walked outside.

Everyone was packed and ready to leave, Levi was already mounted on his horse. He saw Mikasa and Armin race toward him to embrace him and it took all of his strength not to cry out when they hit his arm. Armin was crying now and Mikasa looked really upset. He just hugged them back with one arm and spoke to them quietly.

"I promise I'll be fine, I believe Levi is a good person. Plus remember all those plans you have to see me? You are the smartest people I know, you will definitely find a way to see me soon. I love both of you." Eren said and then grimacing he continued "Say goodbye to Jean and Nac for me?" They nodded and whispered their goodbyes. Eren couldn't smile but he hugged them tightly one last time before stepping back and walking to his horse.

Someone was there to help him onto his tall horse and then they were leaving. He was twisted in his saddle the whole way to the gate watching as Mikasa and Armin, his home and his family grew steadily smaller the further away he went until finally they were nothing more than blurs on the front steps.

 

***

 

Nobody spoke to him all day, he was sure they were trying to be thoughtful and give him space to think and he was glad, he wasn't sure he could hide the pain from his arm while actually holding a conversation. Levi rode up the front with Erwin Smith and Hange Zoe, Eren knew he would be welcome there but didn't really have the energy but Eren did see Levi continually glancing back to check on him. His head was growing heavier and black spots danced across his vision, every bump in the road and every movement of his horse would send pain flaring down his arm but he bit his lip through the pain and kept going. He refused to become a burden to them. They stopped for lunch briefly but Eren couldn't eat his food, his head was too heavy and a nauseous feeling was making its way through his body. No one really looked twice at him guessing his silence was due to him being upset over leaving his home and not really knowing he was acting out of character.  


 

He managed to last until they got to the less populated areas, they were currently riding through the countryside and it was mid-afternoon. Eren had lagged behind to the rear of the group and was slumped over in his saddle the pain coursing through his body and proving to be too much. His eyes were closed and he was really only trying to keep breathing steadily when he heard hoof beats on the ground and a panicked voice calling out his name but his vision was almost entirely black and his head and arm were throbbing painfully. He rocked in his saddle and lost the strength to hold on, slowly slipping and falling sideways off the horse. He felt the ground rise up to meet him and landed with a sold thud but he didn't care, darkness was curling around him and he closed his eyes and gave in to unconsciousness.

 

 

 


	7. Hear Me

Something was wrong with Eren. Levi had first noticed it when he saw him burst out of the palace door and onto the steps, he was pale and shaking but Levi had assumed it was due to the fact he was upset over leaving his home. He was about to dismount and check on him but before he could move Eren had been swarmed by his friends and then hurried to his horse and helped up.

Levi was surprised when Eren hadn't approached him while riding. He had thought they might be able to spend the long trek back to Trost getting to know each other but apparently Eren didn't want that. Whenever he glanced back to look at him he saw the stormy look on Eren's face and very unwelcoming aura that he was oozing and decided it was probably best to keep his distance. Eren was most likely pissed at him for taking him away from his friends and family and Levi was certainly the last person he wanted to talk to. So Levi stayed near Erwin and Hange and kept quiet and sullen under the assault of questions Hange was flinging at him, each more invasive than the last.

When they stopped for lunch he had made up his mind to approach Eren and check on him but when he saw the boy sitting far apart from everyone else glaring down at his food Levi's nerves took hold and he couldn't do it. Eren looked so miserable there and Levi knew that he was terrible at comfort, he was rude and never said the right thing and was sure he would only make things worse for Eren. So he let him be.

It was the afternoon stretch when he actually started to believe there was something more to what was wrong with Eren. His occasional glances back were becoming more regular and each time he saw that Eren had drifted a little further back in the company, his head drooping. He tried to convince himself that Eren was just tired and that he was worrying too much but when he glanced back and saw Eren rocking dangerously in his saddle he snapped. 

All his worries and concerns disappeared as his eyes widened and he turned his horse dangerously fast trying to get to Eren as quickly as possible.

"Levi! What?! He heard Hange's shocked voice calling out to him and then her voice changed as she noticed where he was going, "Oh god, Eren!"

Eren's eyes were closed and his body at a 45 degree angle as he slid from the saddle but Levi was not getting there fast enough. "Eren!" he yelled as he watched in slow motion as the boy went limp and fell off his horse hitting the ground with a dull thump. Levi had started to dismount while his horse was still moving, he landed lightly on his feet a metre from Eren and ran over to kneel beside him. 

Eren's face was sickly pale and his breathe was coming in deep shuddering waves. Why hadn't he checked on him earlier! Levi's usually calm exterior was gone, his hands running uselessly through Eren's hair and over his face. He almost snarled as he heard someone approach his instincts taking over to try and protect the boy but it was just Hange and she knelt down on Eren's other side and started thoroughly looking him over for injuries. 

Levi felt nausea come over him as Hange's careful assessment reached his left arm hidden under his cloak. It was swollen to three times its usual size and mottled purple and yellow and was bent at an awkward angle.

"Fuck!" Levi groaned, his hands running through his hair in distress. Had he been hiding this all day? Levi was sure he hadn't been hurt yesterday or this morning and then his brain zeroed in on the time between Eren leaving breakfast and arriving shaken on the steps to leave. And it clicked, he had visited his father. "That fucking bastard!" Levi was growling, his hands curled into fists and his eyes narrowed in fury, "I'm going to fucking kill his father".

Hange didn't look up from her administrations but she spoke calmly in Levi's direction "Levi. You need to calm down. We knew that this was a possibility and yes we should have kept a closer eye on him today but we are here now and Eren needs your help. I need your help. Just breathe, Levi." 

"His _father_ did this" Levi spat.

"I know, Levi, I know" Hange said quietly. They both looked up at the sound of people approaching. Petra was carrying their first aid kit and knelt down to give it to Hange, Eld and Gunther were muttering to each other and floundering at the situation and Olou was trying to get the rest of their small company to give them space. Erwin had approached and crouched down to speak with them.

"How is he?" Erwin asked calmly. Levi focused on Hange waiting for her to respond.

"Broken wrist and most likely a concussion. There doesn't seem to be any internal injuries but I just can't be sure until he wakes up. We definitely can't move him any time soon" Hange reported.

"Alright then" Erwin said and stood up. He turned to everybody present and called out in a commanding tone "We'll be stopping here for the night, please prepare a camp." 

Hange had started rifling through the first aid supplies and was pulling out bandages and splints. She was staring at Eren's wrist in concentration her fingers gently feeling it and then she grimaced, "I'm going to have to move the bone back into place so it can heal properly. It's best to do it now while he's still out."

Levi flinched. Setting Eren's bone was going to be incredibly painful but he nodded at Hange and then moved to position himself over Eren to hold him still in case he woke up. Hange was preparing herself, she had supplies next to her and her face set in concentration as she took Eren's wrist carefully in her grip. Levi knew that Hange had done this before, she had patched Levi himself up quite a few times. Levi had seen her set broken bones before but this time he couldn't watch. He closed his eyes and dropped his head waiting to hear the crack. His whole body cringed at the noise and then he felt Eren move under him and suddenly he was screaming out in pain.

Hange was fast and efficient. She quickly repositioned the bone and then placed his arm back on the ground and let go. Eren had gone chalk white and was choking out profanities. It almost made Levi smile at the amount of filth pouring out of Eren's mouth, the kid had a pretty creative vocabulary when it came to cursing.

"Motherfucking shit. Who the fuck did that?" he was crying. Levi moved off him, sighing in relief and sat down next to him again.

"Eren?" Levi said trying to get the boy's attention. Eren's eyes swung around to look over at Levi and his mouth fell open in surprise, that was when he tried to sit up and started cursing again. Levi just placed his hands on Eren's shoulders and pushed him back to the ground, Eren started looking around in confusion at not being on his horse anymore.

"You fell of your horse, brat. Hange had to reset your wrist" Levi's voice came out a little more bitter than he expected and then the worry turned to anger, "What the fuck were you thinking?! Why the fuck didn't you say anything? You could have been seriously injured! Fuck, you still might be!"

Eren was blushing and looking away. Hange smacked Levi on the shoulder and then spoke comfortingly to Eren "Don't mind the asshole, he's just worried." Eren nodded stiffly but starting groaning in pain.

"Does your head hurt, Eren?" Hange was completely professional now trying to gauge the full extent of Eren's injuries. He whispered a small 'yes' then closed his eyes and whimpered at the pain. "Concussion it is then. Eren, I need you to stay still while I bandage your wrist, can you do that?" He breathed out another 'yes' and went still, his eyes still scrunched closed. Hange was talking to him the whole time she attended his wrist "Does it hurt anywhere else?" No. "Can you feel your fingers" Yes. "Do you know what day it is?" Sunday. "Do you think you can sit up" No, although Levi had answered that one for him. He glared at both of them until Hange dropped the idea.

After 20 minutes, Eren's arm was in a splint and Hange had demanded that Eren try to sit up. He was wincing in pain but he managed it slowly, Levi had his hands out ready to steady him if he needed to. "That's really good, Eren!" Hange said "I don't want you moving too much over the next 12 hours, we're setting up camp so you can sleep but I'm going to have someone wake you up every two hours just in case."

Eren was looking troubled at that and Hange caught on "We can stay longer if you need too, I promise we won't go anywhere until you-"

"No! That's ok, I mean, I'm fine. We can keep going." Levi had to resist the urge to smack the little shit over the head. 

"We are staying put until you're better" Levi said unwavering. Eren looked up and glared.

"I said I'm fine! We can leave!"

"No." Levi replied. They just sat glaring at each other until Hange interrupted.

"How about a compromise? We stay until morning and then I'll check Eren over and see if he's fit to travel?" 

"No, he needs longer" Levi rebuked. Hange raised an eyebrow but Eren was quick to agree with her.

"Fine, until morning but no longer". Hange and Eren had seemed to take that as law and completely ignored Levi. 

"How the fuck are you supposed to ride with one hand?" Levi growled.

"I managed all the way here, didn't I?" Eren grumbled back.

"Yeah until you fell off your fucking horse!" Levi yelled back and Eren winced. He couldn't help it, couldn't the brat understand that he was not ok to continue?

"Okay!" Hange cried waving her hands between them "I need to speak with Eren, Levi can you report to Erwin?" He knew Hange was trying to get rid of him so he stood up and with an exasperated sigh he left to find Erwin.

Erwin was with Petra and Eld attending to their horses, he noticed Levi approach and looked over, "How's Eren?" he said.

"Fucking stubborn" Levi groaned making Erwin chuckle. "He's fucking refusing to stay longer than the night."

"Well, if he's able to ride then we should respect that plus we really should only stay tonight. We've been gone from Trost too long" Erwin said. Levi heard the sense in what Erwin was saying but it didn't seem to matter. 

"He has a broken wrist and a concussion and you think he should be riding all day? Fuck you, Erwin" Levi hissed angrily.

"Did he tell you how it happened?" Erwin asked. And well that set Levi off completely.

"It was his fucking father! That asshole broke his own son's wrist and god knows what else he's done!" Levi fumed.

"Did he say it was his father?" 

"Of course not! He spent all day injured and in pain on a horse without saying anything, do you really think he's going to talk about it?!" Levi was ranting by now his voice very loud.

"Did you ask? Or just assume and then yell at him?" Erwin countered and that made Levi stop. He thought back on their conversation and _god_ he had been an asshole. He hadn't asked if Eren was ok or how it happened. He had just yelled at him. Fuck.

"Go back and talk to him" Erwin continued, "calmly". Levi huffed but turned around to walk back to Eren. Hange had set up a small bed for him and he was lying down again with his eyes closed. Levi looked at Hange pointedly, she just smirked and left while he sat down.

"Look, I'm sorry, Eren." At the sound of his voice Eren's eyes opened and glared at him. "I didn't mean to yell at you." Eren nodded tiredly but said nothing.

"Can I ask you something?" Levi said. Eren looked a little suspicious but nodded again. "Can you tell me how it happened?" The pure fear that had flicked over Eren's face was enough of an answer for Levi and he had to close his eyes and concentrate on breathing to calm down. He was going to kill that man next time he saw him.

"It was an accident" Eren whispered "I was clumsy. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Levi just sighed and place his hand on Eren's shoulder letting it go for now "Alright, brat."

"Why do you keep calling me a brat? I'm not that much younger than you" Eren said, his voice was low and Levi could tell he was close to sleep. 

"You're young enough" Levi answered quietly.

"I'm 21, I'm not a child" Eren was barely holding onto consciousness now.

Levi looked him over from his tired face to his broken arm and said "No, brat, you're not a child." He was't sure Eren heard him as a few minutes later his breathing had evened out and he was fast asleep. Levi stretched out his legs and got comfortable. 

 

***

 

Every two hours he shook Eren awake to the muffled protests from the boy. He asked a few simple questions and then let him fall back to sleep and he must have been exhausted as the pain from his arm seemed to do little to keep him up. Everyone from the Special Ops Squad plus Hange and Erwin had offered to take over and let Levi get some sleep but he refused not wanting to leave Eren. He caught a little bit of sleep but it wasn't really worrying him, he rarely slept more than a few hours each night anyway. He spent the time thinking and definitely not staring at Eren's face relaxed in sleep.

When the sun rose and everybody started to get up he woke Eren for the last time, it was not easy getting him to stay awake either. Levi had to keep poking him to keep him from falling back to sleep. Hange wandered over with breakfast and that was what finally got Eren to sit up and rub the sleep from his eyes. 

"How you feeling today, Eren?" Hange asked cheerfully.

"I'm fine" Eren said around a mouthful of food but Levi noticed the winces and cringes at the slightest movement from his arm "Good to go."

"No" Levi said drawing both their attention to him "We can afford to stay another day". Levi knew that would be stretching it but he wasn't about to let Eren ride in his condition.

"I'm fine" Eren ground out stubbornly.

"No, you're not" Levi replied just as stubborn.

"How about you boys let me be the judge?" Hange said leaning forward and taking hold of Eren's wrist. The action made a whimper of pain escape Eren's mouth before he could stop it. "Hm, I think Levi might be right."

"No! Look, I promise I'm fine. I can ride, I swear" Eren protested. Hange looked doubtful but she saw the determined look in his eyes and sighed.

"Only if you're sure, Eren. I mean, we probably should keep moving anyway." 

"No" Levi said again more forcefully.

"Yes" Eren said obstinately "Hange said I'm ok to ride and that was the deal".

"I do believe she said she thought I was right first" Levi countered.

"I'm going. I'm fine and we can leave today but I mean if you want to stay you can catch up later" Eren said his voice laced with contempt. Levi threw his hands up at the boys stubbornness. This was ridiculous! And then he had an idea.

"OK fine. We can leave today" Eren's face glowed triumphantly but then Levi continued "but you cannot ride your horse alone, it's too dangerous."

Eren pouted and said "What am I supposed to do then?"

"You'll ride with me for the rest of the trip or until Hange says you are 100% able to ride alone, it's the only way I'm letting you leave here today." Eren looked annoyed but didn't seem to be able to think up an argument against it.

"Fine!" Eren huffed.

"Alright! I'll go let everyone know we leave as soon as we're packed up" Hange said happily and walked away. Eren and Levi finished their breakfast in silence both of them equally annoyed and pleased at the compromise.

The horses were packed up quickly, Eren's tied to Petra's. Levi was standing near his own horse waiting for Eren to walk over, he had been talking to Hange for a few minutes and Levi hoped she was lecturing him and telling him to take it easy today. Finally they parted and Eren came over to stand next to Levi with a strange expression on his face. He apparently didn't like the idea of sharing a horse but Levi just ignored it and put his foot in the stirrup jumping quickly into the saddle, he removed his foot, bent down and held out a hand to help Eren up.

Eren sighed but proceeded to place his foot in the now empty stirrup, give his good hand to Levi and accept the help to mount the horse. Eren sat comfortably behind Levi but didn't move to touch him. Levi snorted and turned his head to look at him.

"You are going to have to hold on you know" he said tauntingly.

He didn't expect Eren's eyes to gleam and his smile to turn up mischievously. Eren then proceeded to shift his body forward slowly so he was pressed right up against Levi's back, he then let his good hand slide over and wrap itself snugly around Levi's chest, letting his fingers bunch in Levi's shirt. He bent his head so it rested on Levi's shoulder and whispered lowly into his ear, "This what you meant?"

Levi could only grunt in reply. His whole body was tingling and his brain was fuzzy being so close to Eren. He had thought he would enjoy a day of Eren being uncomfortable and then have him refuse to continue until he was ok to ride alone. He had not expected this. This was turning into a really bad idea.

Eren shifted slowly rubbing up against Levi once more and the movement sent a twitch right to his cock. Oh god, this was a terrible, terrible idea. 

"You were right, Levi" Eren said whispering in his ear again "This is a much better plan."

 


	8. Something's Got A Hold On Me

"You are going to have to hold on you know" Levi had said, his voice low and teasing.

'Oh, two can play at this game, asshole' Eren thought gleefully, the challenge in Levi's voice much too tempting to pass up. So with confidence he didn't know he possessed he started moving. Levi's body was warm and comfortable, Eren could feel the muscle and the strength and pressed right up to it, he let his hand wind itself in Levi's shirt and then placed his chin on Levi's shoulder to whisper in his ear. "This what you meant?"

He heard Levi grunt and felt his whole body stiffen at the contact, it took all of Eren's strength not to burst out laughing at his reaction. Levi had obviously not expected Eren to do anything like this and that thought only seemed to encourage him. With a wicked grin he moved his body again testing the boundaries, he slowly moved up and then down to rub his chest against Levi's back. He felt a shudder run through Levi's body and his entire mood lightened. Today was going to be so much fun.

"You were right" Eren lowered his voice and it came out as a breathy whisper right in Levi's ear "This is a much better plan."

He heard Levi groan and his confidence went through the roof until he felt Levi move as well. Levi turned his head slowly and his lips were brought millimetres away from Eren's own. He spoke in a quiet, gravelly tone "You sure you want to be doing that, brat?" Eren gulped and stared at Levi, his gaze flicking from his eyes to his lips, his confidence wavering. They stayed that way until they heard people and horses moving around them and Levi turned away smirking to focus on the road. Eren let out a deep breath and then positioned his head to rest against Levi's back. His broken wrist hurt much less today now that it was reset and bandaged but he tucked it up close to his chest to try and stop it from moving anyway.

They were silent for all of 2 minutes before Eren got bored and tried to come up with a new plan to torment Levi.

Questions, he thought, weird and invasive questions. It had the added benefit of getting to know Levi a little better as well as letting Eren have some fun.

"Hey Levi?" Eren asked. He got a grunt and figured he could keep going. "Can I ask you a question?"

Levi nodded and Eren continued "You promise you'll answer it honestly?"

Levi fidgeted a little but sighed and nodded. Eren grinned against Levi's back happy that he was hidden, he took a dramatic deep breath and waited, watching a little bit of panic set into Levi's face.

"Does your bellybutton go in or out?" Eren whispered seriously. Levi startled and then burst out laughing, drawing surprised looks from the people around them. Levi was laughing and at that moment Eren promised himself he would do whatever he could to hear it again.

"In" Levi managed to choke out while Eren was smiling.

"Huh, really? I figured it'd go out" Eren replied pretending to ponder seriously on the matter. Levi just snorted.

"What indications have I ever give that my  _bellybutton_ goes out or in for that matter?" Levi asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, it was just a feeling" Eren answered happily.

"Uh huh sure" Levi said playing along "what about you? In or out?"

Eren pretended to gasp in horror and put on the most shocked voice he could manage "that's a little personal, don't you think Levi?"

Levi was laughing again and Eren was grinning happily at his results and then reeling off another question.

"Have you ever streaked anywhere?" 

"Of course not! Why? Have you?" Levi said startled.

"Once, when I lost a bet with a guy named Jean. I was 12 and had to run naked through the dining room at lunch. My father was furious but mum just laughed." Eren grinned at the memory of his mother.

Levi was shaking his head in defeat "I can imagine".

"Are you picturing me naked now?" Eren asked haughtily.  _That_  made Levi blush.

"No! Well, I mean,  _technically_  yes. But not in that way. Fuck, that's not what I meant!" Levi was getting flustered and it was brilliant. Eren decided to put him out of his misery and started laughing uncontrollably at him. Levi turned and glared.

"You're an asshole" Levi growled making Eren laugh harder. When Eren finally caught his breath he was talking again, this plan turning out much better than he had thought.

"If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?"

"Away from you" Levi huffed and Eren poked him. "Fine, fine. Honestly, it'd have to be the military base."

Eren raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Why?"

"I don't know, it's just home. You?" Levi asked.

"The ocean" Eren answered seriously "I've never been and my mum said we'd go there on a holiday but... but then she was gone and we never talked about it again."

Levi looked a little shocked at how much Eren had opened up but he forged on anyway "And you still want to go there?"

"Of course, I still want to see it and anything that reminds me of mum is worth it" Eren said.

Levi's head turned to take in Eren's expression and then the words seemed to spill out of his mouth  "Maybe we could go someday?"

Eren's eyes widened and his heart fluttered at the thought "I'd like that". There was a content silence for a moment before Eren continued his interrogation.

"Do you have any weird scars?" 

"I have a lot of scars but none of them are particularly weird."

Eren scrunched his face up in doubt "Hmm I don't know, I don't think you'd know weird if it stared you in the face".

Levi quirked an eyebrow and said "You're staring me in the face and I'm fully aware or your weirdness".  Eren huffed and then smiled, rolling off more questions. They continued talking for hours during which they crossed the border from Maria and into Trost. Erwin finally called for a lunch break and Levi started helping Eren down from the horse, he stumbled but found his feet quickly and then stood back and watched as Levi dismounted so gracefully it almost look like he flew down.

"Come on, brat, if we want food we're going to have to help" Levi said and grabbed Eren's good hand to pull him towards the rest of their company. Eren faltered staring at their joined hands and then smiled, happy that Levi had initiated the contact. There were a few raised eyebrows but Levi seemed to either not notice them or just not care. Eren was trying to help with preparations for lunch but Hange found him and demanded to look over his arm asking questions about whether he was experiencing any pain or any other symptoms. Very aware that Levi was watching their conversation Eren just shook his head and told Hange he was perfectly fine even though the pain in his wrist had been getting a little worse all morning. Eren wasn't about to complain not when he'd actually got what he'd wanted.

They all sat together eating lunch today. Eren had been pulled down next to Levi and handed a stack of food, he knew he probably had more than the others but he was too hungry to care and just started shovelling food into his mouth. He looked over mid-chew when he felt eyes on him and saw Levi staring with a disgusted look on his face and Eren blushed.

"Wha's wron'" Eren tried to ask around his mouthful of food.

"Tch, no one would ever pick you for a Prince after they see you eat, that's for sure" Levi griped, repulsed at Eren's manners. 

"I'm hungry!" Eren tried to explain but he only managed to spit a little of his food out on the ground, forever thankful it didn't land on Levi. That didn't stop the look of revulsion crossing Levi's face but before he could say anything Erwin spoke.

"Leave him alone, Levi. I could hear his stomach growling from where I was." That sent laughter ringing through the group and made Eren blush in embarrassment "I'm surprised you couldn't hear it Levi but you  _were_  very absorbed in your conversation". Erwin was smirking at both of them which just made Eren blush deeper.

"Shut the fuck up, shithead" was Levi's oh so clever comeback.

"What  _were_  you guys talking about? You did seem pretty friendly over there" Hange enquired excitedly.

"Nothing" both Levi and Eren replied defensively at the same time, only making Hange laugh.

"That bad, huh?" Hange snickered "I expect it from Levi but really Eren? I thought you were better than that. Messing around in public, really?!"

"What?! We weren't  _doing_  anything, I swear" Eren defended, his face a nice shade of red "I was just asking him stupid questions".

Hange looked at them in disbelief "Yeah right, like I believe that. You were practically on top of each other". Eren gaped and tried to explain but Hange didn't believe him and Levi was no help, he just sat there finishing his food and not getting involved. By the time they were mounting up to leave again Eren was sure he had only managed to make Hange even more sure that she was right and they  _had_  been up to something.  

As the afternoon wore on Eren got tired, he stopped asking Levi questions and just sat quietly with his head resting between Levi's shoulders. Levi had ridden closer to Erwin and Hange and they were talking seriously about something they had to get sorted out when they got back, Eren wasn't really listening. He just closed his eyes, tightened his grip on Levi and let sleep come.

 

***

 

He woke to the sound of Hange's voice but kept his eyes closed "He is just so cute! You can't keep him, Levi. He's much too cute for you!"

Then Levi replied quietly "Shut up, shitty four-eyes, you'll wake him". That only made Hange squeal in excitement and Eren felt Levi let out a deep sigh "He's had a rough few days, for fucks sake let him rest".

"It's ok Levi, I'm awake" Eren mumbled, yawning. 

"See what you did, fuckface! Now the brat's awake" Levi voice was angry but Eren could swear he heard embarrassment there.

"Was I asleep long?" Eren murmured trying to stretch out stiff limbs.

"Yeah, a few hours. We've only got about an hour of light left before we have to stop and set up camp" Levi answered.

"Are we camping all week?" Eren asked curiously. 

"No, not now that we're in Trost, tomorrow night onwards we'll be getting rooms. We pass through a lot of small villages on the way to the military base so we stop and stay in them".

"Oh" was all Eren could say. He'd known the trip was a week long but he hadn't really realised just how long that was until after two days of riding. His ass was already sore from the saddle and his legs were twitching from not being used, another five days of this was going to be painful. And then another question occurred to him.

"How come it takes five days to get there? I didn't think the military base was that far away from the Marian border?" Eren asked. He had seen maps, he knew that while it was pretty far it couldn't really have taken them more than 3 days. Erwin was the one that answered him, intruding on their conversation.

"As Levi said, we pass through a lot of villages, it makes us go a lot slower than being out on open ground." Ah, that made sense, Eren thought. "Plus we'll be returning with a Marian Prince so we assumed that would slow us down a little."

That shocked Eren, he was the reason this was going to take so long, the reason they couldn't get back to base quicker. He was slowing them-

"Stop worrying brat. The whole aim was to get you and bring you here and we accounted for that. We're going to be back on schedule" Levi interrupted. Eren was surprised Levi had managed to guess what he was thinking but he was comforted by the words and nodded stiffly.

Camp that night was similar to lunch. They all helped prepare food (besides Eren who Hange was looking over again) and set up camp beds and they took turns staying awake as someone always had to be on watch. Levi had set up his own and Eren's bed (Eren had tried but failed miserably with his broken wrist) next to each other, the camp was pretty quiet as everyone was exhausted after a long day of riding and soon enough everyone had fallen asleep. Eren stayed awake a little longer having slept on the way and realised that Levi wasn't trying to sleep, he lay with hands behind his head staring at the sky.

"Can't sleep, Levi?" Eren whispered in the darkness.

"Not really. I usually only sleep a few hours a night" Levi whispered back glancing over at him. "You should sleep, Eren, another long day tomorrow".

Eren nodded and curled in on himself, falling asleep to the thought of still being pressed up against Levi's back.

 

***

 

The rest of the trip continued in the same way. Waking up early and packing up to leave, Eren still riding the same horse as Levi (although there were little to no complaints about the situation now), they talked happily for hours most of the time about nothing at all and Eren usually spent the afternoon dozing on Levi's back. The villages were nice and people came out to greet them, waving and taking long looks at Eren. Eren was a little disappointed he hadn't been able to ride through Trost for the first time on his own horse, he felt that sharing with Levi made him look incompetent and childish to the people of Trost.

The nights spent in the villages were only a little better than camping. They had one room lined with single beds and even though Eren and Levi were married they stayed with the group. Not that Eren minded, he was a lot closer to Levi now, he felt like he knew his husband a lot better and they were on their way to something well... not terrible but it was still a lot of pressure to think of them being alone together.

The last day it stormed. Rain falling from the sky in torrents and thunder clapping deafeningly over them. The temperature dropped to freezing and everyone tried to ride a little faster in order to get out of the weather. Eren was effected the worst not being used to Trost's colder weather. Within the first hour of riding they were completely soaked to the bone, Eren was shivering more violently then he thought possible and was pressed as close as possible to Levi trying to steal some of his warmth. It wasn't really working. They decided to skip lunch and just keep going as they were only a couple of hours out and none of them really wanting to stop. Eren's teeth were chattering, his nose running and his legs clamped around Levi's just praying for warmth. He kept hearing Levi muttering for the horse to go faster but Eren was almost entirely consumed with numbness spreading over his body from the cold.

They burst onto the military base mid-afternoon, no one waiting for them as everyone had been unwilling to brave the weather. They didn't even bother to dismount but rode straight into the stables and finally out of the rain. Eren could feel Levi dismounting but he couldn't get himself to move he just sat shivering even more now that Levi had removed his own body heat.

He heard Levi's voice talking to him but couldn't comprehend what he was saying. He did hear a "Tch" and then felt hands on his legs. Levi was touching him, trying to help him dismount, and Levi's warm touch scorched through his drenched pants waking him up a bit from his daze. He proceeded to pull his leg over the horse and then fall to the ground hoping that Levi would be there to either steady him or just catch him entirely. He was.

Levi had his hands on Eren, one wound around his back and the other guiding his arm. "Not a fan of the cold, huh kid?"

"N-n-not r-really" Eren stuttered back his teeth chattering violently.

"Alright, come on. We're going somewhere warm" Levi coaxed.

Eren moved forward his feet tripping over themselves as they walked, Levi just kept a steady grip on him and helped him from the stables and into the military bases barracks. The barracks were full of people. Soldiers of every rank stared at them as they made there way through, Eren thought he may have cared more at the attention but he was too cold and miserable to care about anything at the moment except finding the warmth Levi had promised. Levi only had to give someone a glare before they squeaked and run off.

Finally they made it to Levi's quarters with Levi opening the door and nudging Eren inside. He guided him through rooms until they reach the bathroom where Levi pushed Eren to the floor against a wall and walked out. He returned a few moments later with a thick blanket which he wrapped around Eren's shoulders and then he went to the bath and started filling it with hot water. The blanket was helping to keep some warmth in but Eren was watching the bath hungrily, the steam curling around the room. When the bath was full, Levi helped Eren stand and took the blanket away. His cloak was thrown off and then Levi knelt down and undid the laces on Eren's shoes and pulled them off throwing them in a corner, he then stood up and tugged Eren's soaked shirt up and over his head and manuevered his broken wrist through the sleeve throwing the shirt over to meet the boots, he then moved his hands to Eren's waist and fiddled with the buttons on his pants and helped guide them down over his long legs and pulled them over his feet. The pants were thrown to join the shirt and boots. 

Eren now stood in Levi's bathroom, in front of Levi in nothing but his underwear. His skin was tingling everywhere Levi had touched him and his pupils had completely blown from the feeling. Levi was staring, his eyes roving over Eren's body with intensity but then he coughed roughly and stepped back, a hand running through his hair in embarrassment.

"I'm... I'm sure you've got it from here" Levi choked out and then started pointing around the room "There are towels over there and soap over there. I'll get you some dry clothes. I'll just be outside, yell if you need anything". And with that Levi backed out of the room quickly and closed the door behind him. Eren was stunned in his spot but when a particularly violent shiver ran down his spine he removed his underwear and stepped over to the bath to dip a toe in. It was hot and perfect. Eren sunk in and immersed himself in the beautiful steaming water. It was pure heaven after today and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to leave.

He closed his eyes and thought of Levi. He was finally in Levi's home. Well,  _their_  home now. He was in  _their_  bathroom, soaking in  _their_  bath. It was absurd. Eren knew that this was going to take a lot to get used to and be comfortable with but for now he was smiling. Happy that he was finally here and happy that Levi was waiting for him just outside.


	9. Stay With Me

Levi was pacing. His clothes were still completely soaked through and on a rational level he knew he should change but he couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking about Eren. Eren who was currently very naked in his bath. Fuck! He had spent the whole day feeling Eren trembling with cold, his teeth chattering in Levi's ear and Eren pressing himself as close as possible to Levi's body. He had only wanted to get to base as quick as possible in order to get Eren out of the cold and into somewhere warm, each time a big shiver ran through Eren, Levi had tried to urge his horse to go a little faster. It had been a stressful day, his brain worried about Eren but his body annoyinglygetting increasingly worked up each time Eren moved against him.

They had spent the whole week in a bubble. It was mostly just them talking or being near each other for hours on end. Levi thought that if it had been anyone else he probably would have shoved them off the horse after the first strange question and he never would have considered staying that way for a week but Eren's voice was addictive and he was quickly getting hooked on his laugh. The whole time Eren was asking questions, Levi had no idea where he was pulling them from as each one was more random then the last but they were actually kind of fun and didn't require him to open up too much. Although, he thought, at this point I'd probably answer any question that Eren asked. He was in so fucking deep. 

Levi had had no plans to like his husband. He had been prepared to tolerate him, maybe share his space, occasionally talk to him but not like him. _Tolerating_ him had been a best case scenario but now Levi was screwed. Each time Eren had asked a dumb question his barriers had dropped a little more, his smile appearing more naturally. The brat still irritated him and was becoming a master of embarrassing him but Levi only felt a small amount of annoyance now rather than the truckload of anger he would usually feel at someone successfully making him blush.

Eren was pretty quickly becoming the exception to literally everything.

 

He had to stop thinking. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep stabilizing breath and then got to work. He quickly changed into dry clothes and then he went to gather together Eren clothes. All of their belongings had been brought to them while they had been in the bathroom and Levi started to go through Eren's clothes bag. He hadn't brought much with him, a couple of bags of clothes and possessions was all he had and Levi frowned at the thought.  Was he just thinking practically only bringing necessities? Or had he not been allowed to bring more? The idea of someone forbidding Eren to do something made Levi's teeth grind in anger but he quickly brought out a comfortable looking set of clothes and walked back to the bathroom hesitating at the door. He knocked but didn't enter. 

"Levi?" Eren called out.

Levi rolled his eyes "Who else, brat? I've got dry clothes".

"Oh, ok. You can bring them in" Eren said through the door. 

Levi took a breath, opened the door and stepped inside. He tried not to look. He really did. But his eyes almost automatically shifted to Eren. His skin was pink and flushed from the heat, his knees were brought up to his chest trying for modesty and he was biting his lip distractingly. Eren was definitely trying to kill him. Levi was sure something in his brain popped at the sight and he stood motionless in the doorway just staring. 

"Uh, Levi? My clothes?" Eren asked nervously, snapping Levi out of his trance. Levi fumbled, put the clothes on a bench and then retreated quickly before Eren could even say thankyou.

Levi tried to busy himself while Eren was in the bath. He set up the spare bedroom for him and put his bags by the bed, he wasn't particularly happy at the idea of Eren sleeping in another room having gotten used to him being close by but he thought it was probably better not to assume anything. He went outside and found a nervous cadet to go and bring them some food and then started pacing again. Eren had been in that bath a long time. He couldn't hear anything coming from the bathroom either. Had Eren drowned? No, that was a completely ridiculous idea. Even Eren couldn't manage to drown in a bathtub. Levi walked quickly to the bathroom door to check anyway.

"Eren?" he called through the door.

"Levi? Is something wrong?" Ok, so he hadn't drowned but now Levi had to come up with something that didn't sound equally pathetic and embarrassing. "Uh, I called down for dinner someone will bring it up soon so you should get dressed". Perfect, Levi thought, not pathetic or embarrassing but a perfectly acceptable reason to check on him. Levi groaned, the level of distress this boy was causing him was ridiculous. 

"Ok. I'll be out soon" Eren said. Levi could hear movement, water sloshing and feet hitting the ground. He may have stayed there to see if he was needed until he heard a loud knock on the door which effectively made him leave and walk quickly away from the bathroom to answer it. When he saw who was there he wished he'd just stayed hovering in the hallway, as creepy as he had probably looked. It was Hange and she was carrying food. Food for three people. Fuck.

"Levi! So, I ran into this cadet who was completely losing it muttering about the Captain and food so of course I took over. I was getting you boys food when I thought 'You know what would be better?' if I joined you! So here I am!" Hange was practically dancing with excitement and stepped around Levi to go inside before he could tell her to drop the food and fuck off.

"So, where's the husband? Got him into bed already? You work pretty fast, huh Levi?!" Hange teased.

"Bath" Levi replied dryly and ushered Hange towards the living room before she got excited and dropped all of their food.

"Trying to warm up, eh? You know there's other ways to warm up-" but she was cut short by Eren's nervous voice approaching from the hallway.

"Uh, Levi? Sorry but I need some help getting my pants on" he spoke the last words as he stepped into the living room with only his underwear on, his eyes widening and face blushing at the sight of Hange "N-never mind. I'll manage" he yelped and turned quickly to leave the room. Levi felt the colour rising in his own face and saw Hange almost exploding with glee. He was never going to live this one down.

"Not a word, fuckface" he warned, his eyes narrowed at her. She just grinned and watched as he followed Eren out. He reached the bathroom door and walked in, he was met with Eren struggling terribly with his pants. He had both feet in and was trying to simultaneously pull the pants up over his legs while holding onto the wall all with his one good hand. It just was not working. He wobbled and almost fell but Levi stepped forward and held him steady. Eren froze his blush deepening at the contact.

"So, pants?" Levi enquired and Eren nodded quickly. Levi bent down and while Eren held the wall for balance, Levi shimmied his pants up. It was a lot for Levi to process, Eren had miles of legs and they were still warm from the bath and Levi was trying to concentrate on helping him and not get turned on from just feeling Eren's bare skin. It wasn't really working, especially when he had to slide the pants over Eren's ass.

"Do you need help with the shirt?" Levi asked his voice low. Eren nodded again but stayed quiet. Levi silently helped guide Eren's broken wrist through first to make sure it wasn't unnecessarily hurt and when the shirt was in place they just stood there suspended in the moment, close enough to touch and breathing heavily. Levi just hoped he was having the same effect on Eren that Eren was having on him. His question was answered when Eren tilted his head down closer, their noses brushed and Levi raised himself up on his toes almost meeting Eren's lips when Hange burst through the door.

"Levi! Ooh, sorry! Did I interrupt something?" Hange was staring at them a wicked smile on her face as they jumped apart. Eren was blushing _again._ Was the brat ever not blushing? And then Levi wondered just how far down that blush went.

"What the fuck do you want?!" Levi growled at her.

"You two were taking forever and the food's getting cold. Plus I was bored and you two are much more fun than babysitting dinner" she grinned happily. 

"We're coming now just get the fuck out" Levi said angrily shoving her out the door. 

"Oh, umm Levi" Eren began nervously "I couldn't find my necklace. It wasn't there in the bath and I haven't taken it off before, have you seen it?"

Levi was very happy at the sudden change of topic, they were both pretty flustered and the odd question was enough to get them functioning properly again.

"Have you checked your clothes? It might have come off with them" Levi said motioning to the pile of discarded clothes. Eren walked over and started rifling through them finally pulling out a silver chain with a smile. He immediately put it back on and tucked it under his shirt. Levi raised an eyebrow in question.

"It was my mum's" Eren answered simply and then left the bathroom heading towards the smell of food with Levi following him.

Hange was at the table sorting out food when they came in, Eren tried to help but she smacked him away and made him sit down. Levi just sat down in his chair and waited for the assault that he knew was coming. She was able to contain herself until they all had food and had started eating, Eren still shovelling heaps into his mouth. The disgusting sight of watching Eren stuff his mouth with food was enough to make Levi's body calm down and be able to concentrate after almost having his lips of Eren's. The kid _was_ pretty gross when he ate.

"I'm sorry I interrupted over there" Hange smirked and continued "Well, not really, I mean you boys do have all night to have fun so ehh". Eren choked on his food. Levi leaned over and thumped his back, glaring at Hange.

"Don't get too handsy though, Eren's wrist _is_ still broken and we don't want it getting worse" Hange lectured evilly. Eren was now in a full coughing fit, his face red and his eyes watering.

"Just eat your food and get the fuck out, Hange" Levi snarled. 

"Aww but I want to spend some time with Eren. I've barely had the chance to talk to him and get to know him! You took up all of his time on the way here" Hange complained, that evil look just not leaving her face. Levi continued to glare but Hange just kept talking.

"You feeling any better, Eren? You looked awful this afternoon plus with your wrist you haven't really had a good trip, huh?" Hange asked.

"It was better than I expected actually" Eren replied quietly his eyes not leaving his plate. Levi managed to keep his lips from smiling at Eren's answer but the fluttering in his stomach was an entirely different issue.

"Oh really? Levi must not have been his usual grumpy self then" Hange said eyeing Levi curiously "he doesn't like anyone, most people leave either crying or with an injury after meeting him".

No. This conversation definitely has to end now. Hange really needs to shut up, Levi thought. They were not going to have a conversation about him while he sat  _right there._

"Really?" Eren asked his eyes finally glancing up to meet Hange's but swinging intermittently over to Levi.

"Oh, yeah. He's kind of an asshole to everyone" Hange replied making Eren let out a short laugh. 

"I can definitely see that" Eren said, eyes flicking to Levi's grouchy form. They had finished eating by now and Levi could see Eren and Hange about to settle into a serious conversation. About him. Nope, Levi thought, not going to fucking happen.

"Ok Hange, you're done for the night. Now get the fuck out" Levi stood grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair. Eren was giggling,  _a_ _ctually giggling,_ at Levi's reaction. 

"Fine! I'll find you later, Eren, while grumpy's not around. Bye!" Hange called as Levi threw her out.

"Bye Hange!" Eren called out happily from his spot at the table listening as Levi slammed the door closed. Levi returned and sat down again looking over at Eren's happy face.

"I like her" Eren declared smugly. Levi groaned loudly and just started packing up dishes and throwing out the food left on their plates.

"She's an awful person with no boundaries. Trust me, you don't like her" Levi said tensely but Eren just laughed.

There was a comfortable silence surrounding them until Levi spoke and unknowingly broke it "I, uh, set up the spare room for you". 

Eren's face fell.

"Oh, ok. Sure, I'll just go and" Eren sounded crushed as he jumped up quickly not finishing his sentence and ran out of the room. He heard doors opening and closing while Eren was trying to find the room but Levi just stood in shock. What had he sad? Didn't Eren want his own space? Levi's thoughts wandered back to their almost kiss in the bathroom and hope bloomed in his chest. Maybe Eren didn't really want space?

Levi walked to the spare room quickly and found Eren slumped dejectedly on the bed. The sight made Levi smile and he spoke into the silent room "Come on, brat."

Eren jerked around and stared at him "What?!"

"Come on, we're going to my room" Levi said calmly but his stomach was fluttering again.

"But you said-" Eren started.

"I know but obviously you don't like your room and well mine  _is_ bigger plus you apparently don't like the idea of sleeping alone" Levi explained coolly.

Eren was staring, stunned but he found his voice pretty quickly and it came out in anger "I don't know what you're thinking but I am perfectly happy in my own room. I _like_ sleeping alone".

Levi might have believed him if he didn't see the joy written all over Eren's face in frank contrast to his angry voice so Levi just walked forward and grabbed Eren's hand pulling him up and making him stumble out of the room behind him. Levi pulled him along listening to Eren's half-hearted complaints until they finally reached Levi's room. Levi's room was pretty big, it had cream coloured walls and white linen over a decent sized bed, there was nothing fancy about it, it was practical and Levi had never really put too much thought into it. He sure as shit didn't _decorate_. He glanced over at Eren who was taking it in.

"It suits you" Eren finally said.

"What? Boring and practical suits me?" Levi teased. Eren hit him gently and smiled.

"No but it's neat and clean, I don't know it just reminds me of you" Eren trailed off embarrassed.

"Huh, well we have a big day tomorrow so probably best to try and get some sleep" Levi said.

"But you don't sleep that much" Eren said.

"No but I can rest while you sleep" Eren smiled seeming pretty happy with that answer. Eren started to move before he halted at the end of the bed and turned to look at Levi, red tinting his cheeks again.

"Do... do you have a side?" Eren whispered. 

"Left" Levi answered softly. Eren nodded and moved around to the right side, pulled the covers up and slid in. Levi watched stunned as Eren made himself comfortable in his bed looking completely at home there and then Eren looked up at him a question in his eyes, Levi shook himself and walked over climbing into the left side. The bed was pretty big but not big enough for both of them to be able to move around without touching each other so after 10 minutes of Eren shuffling around awkwardly Levi just sighed and took control. He scooted closer to Eren, pressed his chest against Eren's back and pulled him close to him. Eren let a squeak at Levi's touch but didn't try to escape. 

"What are you doing" Eren whispered to him.

"I can't rest while you're flipping around like that and I thought this would be a good way to get you to stop" Levi explained, amusement lacing his words.

"Is this payback for the horse thing?" Eren teased. Levi hadn't thought of that but yeah ok, he could definitely see the fun in it now.

"Maybe" Levi replied softly. 

"Fine" Eren huffed moving around a little bit more to maximise the comfort of their position, Levi moved his hands so they wrapped around Eren's stomach, his head lying in the curve of Eren's neck, they relaxed taking comfort in how close they were. It only took a few minutes before Levi heard Eren's even breathing and knew he was asleep, Levi closed his eyes and surprisingly sleep washed over him in moments. 

 

 


	10. I Wish You Would

Waking up with Levi was different. They were wrapped around each other having moved during the night, legs were twisted together, hands curled into shirts and Eren's head was now resting on the curve between Levi's shoulder and neck. What surprised Eren the most was that Levi seemed to actually be asleep. In the whole week they had been together Eren hadn't seen Levi asleep once. It was mesmerizing watching his face easy and calm and Eren moved a little to prop himself up on his elbow to look at Levi better. 

Just the idea of being wrapped up in Levi's warmth was making his heart stammer and he really didn't want to know how many times he'd thought about it this week. It was strange how calming just being near him was, he had been prepared to feel lost and alone while in Trost with no one he could rely on but so far Levi hadn't left his side. Surprisingly he wasn't really missing Mikasa or Armin yet being much to caught up in being with his husband and he only felt immense relief being away from his father. The promise he'd made to him was hovering over him like a bad smell but he was torn between following his father's orders and simply waiting until it was right between him and Levi. He knew that if his father found out he would be furious and that would only mean bad things for Eren but with him so far away and with no real way to get to Eren he was relaxing more into the idea of waiting. He would do this in his own time, Levi certainly wasn't rushing him.

Watching Levi's face his thoughts wandered to sex. Well, mostly sex with Levi. He had thought about it a lot this week, Levi being just about the only thing on his mind, and he was getting more excited about the idea. He wanted to, he knew he did, but he was nervous. His mind had been playing crazy scenarios over in his head and going over every possible situation. Did Levi want to top? Probably, but he didn't know for sure. What if he didn't? Eren couldn't, he had no idea what he was doing! Would it hurt? Everyone he'd talked to had said a definite yes. Would he even enjoy it? He hoped so. His mind had been reeling all week but in the quiet moments before sleep hit him he would think about Levi's hands on him and Levi's lips trailing kisses all over his skin. It was pointless though they hadn't even managed to kiss properly yet.

Eren blushed when he remembered last night, he had leaned down intent on kissing Levi, he had looked so tempting and Eren had wanted to so bad that he just couldn't resist anymore and then bloody Hange had to interrupt. It  _had_  turned into a pretty nice evening though, Hange was loud and obnoxious but Eren enjoyed her company plus she wasn't at all scared of teasing Levi which just made Eren like her more. And then Levi had told him he had prepared the spare room and all of Eren's fantasies were crushed. 

Ok, so he had definitely respected Levi for thinking about him and how he may not have wanted to share but his mind had immediately gone into overdrive thinking that maybe  _Levi_  didn't want to share and that this was how their life was going to be, more room mates than partners. Was he expected to stay here in this room forever? Had Levi only been pretending to like him or but no, Levi had definitely wanted to kiss him, he'd seen it. Eren had just fallen back on the bed utterly defeated and confused until moments later Levi had arrived and all but dragged him into his own bed. Apparently Levi noticed a lot more about Eren than he had thought.

And now here they were and they were cuddling. Eren was pretty surprised at how quickly he'd grown to like Levi, he'd thought there'd be a lot of issues with the arrangement but so far it had been pretty smooth. They had been able to talk freely for a week with no pressure and barely any interruptions and the fact that they had been sitting so close on that horse only seemed to help. Eren was comfortable around Levi which he was eternally grateful for not to mention the fact his husband was hot. Like really fucking gorgeous.

Levi's grey eyes opened and found Eren's immediately, making him jump at being caught staring.

"Eren?" Levi said his voice heavy with sleep.

"Sorry! I was just surprised to see you sleeping" Eren said scrambling away from Levi.

"It's fine. What time is it? Levi asked.

"Pretty early but I'm not sure, I haven't been up that long" Eren said.

"Come on then we should probably get up" Levi said rolling over and getting out of bed. 

"You said we had a busy day, what are we doing?" Eren asked still sitting bundled up warmly in the blankets. Levi was walking towards the drawers and pulling neatly folded clothes out.

"I have recruits to train and meetings with Erwin" Levi said grumpily.

"Oh ok" Eren said quietly "what am I doing then?" That seemed to stump Levi as if he had never thought about what Eren was meant to do when he got here.

"Um, I don't know actually" Levi turned to look at him "don't you have work that you could be doing for Maria?"

"Not really" Eren sighed "after I was told I was marrying you and coming here all of my work went to Mikasa. It was all based in Maria and I can't do it from here."

"What kind of work did you do?" Levi asked curiously, turning around, not knowing that Eren actually  _did_  anything.

"I helped with everything, my Father is, uh, erratic sometimes and so Mika and I would go over most of his work to make sure it was complete and up to standards". Levi raised his eyebrows at that answer and Eren continued "He just has mood swings sometimes and gets distracted easier but it's important for Mika anyway as she'll take over and needs to know about all of the policies and structures of ruling and well I liked helping" Eren tried to pass over his father quickly and not draw attention to him, Levi seemed to buy it for now.

"Well, I could ask Erwin if there's anything he needs help with? You have experience and I'm sure he'd like another set of hands" Levi asked. Eren stayed quiet not sure whether he liked the idea of being around the intimidating commander all day but not sure what else he could do.

"Or you could stay with me today and think about it? I can probably get some time to show you around the base?" Levi asked trying to sound off-hand. Eren smiled, now that sounded like a much better plan, he hadn't liked the idea of being away from the only thing that made him feel comfortable and forced to try an adapt to this new place. He could be with Levi and watch him work. I wonder what he's like with the recruits? Eren thought, probably a complete asshole. But it would be amazing to see him in action even if it was beating up recruits.

"That's sounds good" Eren said, happy with how this was turning out.

"Alright then, get dressed, we eat in the mess hall with everyone" Levi said grabbing his clothes and walking towards the bathroom.

 

***

 

Everyone was staring. They had walked into the mess hall late and as soon as they stepped in the door every single person turned to look at them and start whispering. Eren tried to keep calm and stand tall and not let it bother him but he found himself slowing down to walk slightly behind Levi anyway.

Levi hadn't noticed the staring or he was just used to it but he walked in, got his food, held Eren's plate for him while he stacked food on one handed and then led the way to a small table. Eren sat down silently next to Levi and looked around, there were three people already there none of which Eren recognised but they all looked important. Eren realised he must be at a table reserved only for the high ranking military members.

"Eren, this is Ness, Hannes and Nanaba" Eren smiled over at them as Levi spoke. "This is Eren" Levi said to them gesturing at Eren.

"Oh, so you're the poor guy that had to marry Levi" one of them teased lightly. 

"Fuck off, Hannes" Levi snapped.

"What happened to you arm?" the woman, Nanaba, asked.

"Oh, um it was an accident before we left" Eren tried for a laugh but it came out pretty stressed, eyebrows flew up at what Eren knew was a pathetic reason.

"That must have made it hard to ride?" Ness enquired.

"Oh, I rode with Levi" Eren answered turning to his food and filling his mouth so he wouldn't have to talk. They all looked pretty stunned.

"Really? That must have been interesting" Ness smirked turning to Levi.

"You can fuck off too, Ness" was all Levi replied making Ness laugh.

"What are you up to today, Eren?" Nanaba asked kindly.

"I'm going with Levi today, he said he might be able to show me around a little later on" Eren answered politely.

"Well, if you get bored or Levi is too busy come find me and I can show you around. I have lighter duties today" Nanaba offered.

"Thankyou, I'll think about it" Eren replied smiling at her, she was quiet and withdrawn but she seemed kind.

"Thanks, Nanaba. I'll send him you're way if I don't have any time" Levi said looking up to meet hers eyes, his lips turned up at the corners.

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, Eren being very thrown off at the amount of people staring at him and wasn't able to eat as much as usual. He was just moving food around his plate and kept looking around the room taking in both excited and hesitant expressions from the soldiers.

"Don't worry about them" Eren jumped as Levi leaned over to speak lowly into his ear "they're just curious. Once they learn how annoying you are they'll back off" Levi ended with a small smirk.

"Shut up, asshole" Eren responded quietly but he felt a little more relaxed now.

"Come on, time to go" Levi said immediately taking his and Eren's empty plates to be washed up. Eren jumped up and followed the shorter man through the mess hall and out the door.

"Where are we going?" Eren asked a lot less nervous now that he was alone with Levi and away from all the soldiers.

"Training grounds. The base is set up for full training capabilities and I have a new set of recruits starting today" Levi said. His eye was twitching a little and his mouth was turned down.

"Don't like new recruits, huh Levi?" Eren smiled. Levi glanced at him a little surprised but Eren just poked his face and laughed "Your mouth's all frowny and your eye is seriously twitching".

Levi still looked pretty surprised but grunted "Frowny? That's not even a word".

"Hm, well it is now!" Eren laughed poking at Levi's frown. Levi smacked his hand away but it only set Eren off again.

They reached the training grounds and Eren helped Levi to set it up for the recruits but it really only made him more curious "What are they doing today?"

"Honestly, probably just a lot of crying" Levi replied dryly continuing his task. Eren grinned, he was pretty excited to watch. He wanted to know how Levi treated recruits, how he was seen by the other soldiers and he was pretty interested in the whole process of training. When it hit 6:50 am recruits started trickling out and onto the field and by the time it hit 7:00 am there were about 100 people milling around nervously. Eren had stepped back and situated himself on a high wooden beam of a fence to watch, the ground still really wet after yesterdays storm.

As soon as 7:00 am rolled around Eren watched as Levi snapped over into someone else. His eyes narrowed and his jaw set. This man was not the same as the one who had helped him into the bath yesterday or the one who had laughed with him on the ride here or who had held him in bed last night. This man was strength and fire and intensity. He was demanding and scary and Eren immediately understood why a lot of these recruits would cry today. It was hypnotizing to watch him and yes, fine it was turning him on. He couldn't help it though, Levi was so impressive he just couldn't tear his eyes away.

Eren watched as the recruits were assaulted over and over with demanding tasks. Levi never yelled but his low threatening voice was worse, the recruits were afraid of him and Eren could defintily understand. He spent the whole morning just watching Levi run the recruits into the ground, there were too many tears and by lunch time at least 10 had passed out only to regain consciousness and have to keep going. Levi dismissed them to go and eat and waited for them all to leave.

His head turned to Eren and he started stalking over, his eyes gleaming and fierce. Eren was staring at him approach his breath coming harder and more erratic. When Levi finally reached him he grabbed his good hand and pulled him down, stepped into his space and then backed him up against the fence. His hand reached up around Eren's neck pulling his head down and closer to Levi's, his other hand twined itself in the back of Eren's shirt pressing him closer. Their lips mere inches apart, Eren could feel Levi's chest moving against his own and saw the intensity in his eyes. His heart was pounding and his brain numb he could only think of Levi. His steely eyes and soft lips and how much he need them on him right now.

Levi's breath was heavy and Eren could feel it brushing against his face when Levi finally moved in to kissed him. The kiss was hot and fervent, Levi pressing in and Eren letting him. He could feel Levi's strength behind the kiss and couldn't hold in the quiet moan as he felt Levi's tongue on his. His back was pressed into the fence with Levi right against him, Eren raised his hand and tangled it in Levi's hair trying to pull him even closer. Eventually, he had to pull back for a moment to catch his breath but Levi just chased after him and pressed their lips together again. Eren was in pure bliss. He couldn't help the smile breaking out over his face and unintentionally ending their kiss, he leaned his head down and rested it against Levi's, both of them just breathing.

"You were staring at me all morning" Levi groaned "I couldn't concentrate".

Eren's smile widened "If that's you  _not_  concentrating then I  _definitely_  want to see you when you are".

Levi just let out another groan and leaned up to quickly kiss him again before stepping back, "we should go eat".

"I don't mind missing lunch if it means staying here" Eren said teasingly. That just made Levi smile.

"You'll regret that when lunch is over and you're not fed. Remember, I've seen how much you eat". Eren had to agree to that and pushed away from the fence to stand properly. They stood together for a moment before Levi grabbed his hand and pulled him away towards the mess hall again. "I think I'll have some time after lunch to show you around if you want?" Levi said his tone unusually light.

"Yes please, but only if you're free. I can find Nanaba if you're too busy" Eren said.

"I should be fine, I'm finished with the recruits for the day and I have a meeting with Erwin at 1:00 but after that I don't have anything until 3:00 so we can do it then" Levi explained.

"If it's ok I might go back to our rooms after lunch, I need to write to Mika" Eren said. Levi just nodded and led him into the mess hall where they followed the same process as breakfast, although this time it was only Ness at the table.

Eren tried to keep his hands off Levi but wasn't really succeeding, he ended up giving in and just resting his broken wrist on Levi's thigh while he ate and let his fingers absently trace patterns into his pants. He could tell Levi was affected badly but trying not to show it as he was staring at his plate concentrating much too hard on his food. Eren was just smiling and eating, happy with the contact and blissed out over their kiss.

He had finally gotten to kiss Levi and it was  _so_  much better than he had thought and he couldn't wait to try it again.

He had been here less than 24 hours and he already had so much to tell Mikasa.

 


	11. No Air

Levi walked Eren back to their room, holding tightly to his hand again. His brain was going too slow still caught up in their kiss and the feeling of Eren's fingers delicately drawing on his thigh. He closed his eyes and breathed trying to organize his thoughts, he had to take Eren back to their room and then go to the meeting with Erwin and after that he could be with Eren again. They had a little time to waste and he was hoping Eren could be persuaded to postpone their tour in favour of staying in the room. Because Levi really wanted to fucking kiss him again.

It had been an all-consuming kiss which Levi had felt in every part of his body, he knew that if Eren hadn't broken it off when he did they definitely would not have made it to lunch. And then Eren had gone and spent the whole time in the mess hall touching him anyway taking all of Levi's concentration not to throw himself on Eren and drag him straight to their room. They reached their door and Levi didn't follow him in knowing he didn't have enough control to pull himself out again and his brain was telling him that he had to go to the meeting, Erwin had urged that it was very important.

"I have to go meet Erwin" Levi said roughly.

"You sure you have to go?" Eren enquired his beautiful green eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, unfortunately he said it was important" Levi grouched but didn't leave.

Eren watched him curiously. "You know you actually have to leave. I'm pretty sure Erwin isn't holding this meeting outside our door" Eren teased but hadn't let go of Levi's hand.

"Tch, I know that, brat" Levi sighed letting the taunt go but stepping closer, leaning up and pressing a soft, quick kiss on Eren's lips "I'll come back after the meetings over".

Eren's face was red again but he was smiling happily "Maybe we can postpone that tour until tomorrow?" he asked quietly. Levi smiled, nodded and walked away before Eren drew him further in. 

As soon as he arrived at the meeting and Erwin started speaking he was very glad that Eren had not joined him, it would not have gone over well. It wasn't going to anyway but Eren not being there minimized the casualties. Erwin wanted a report. A report on their marriage.

"So, Levi how is it going with Eren" Erwin asked casually gesturing for him to sit down opposite him.

"Fine" Levi replied dryly sitting swiftly in the chair.

"You seemed to be getting along fairly well" Erwin continued staring at him.

Levi just grunted and asked "What do you want, shitty eyebrows?"

Erwin quirked his eyebrow and said seriously "I need to know about Eren, Levi". Levi instantly went on guard, his eyes narrowing at the question.

"What do you mean?" he said carefully. Erwin sighed.

"This is first and foremost a political arrangement, Levi, I thought you understood that. It's a very dangerous and delicate plan which if it went wrong could easily break both of our Kingdoms. If Eren is not safe or happy, if he gets hurt or is put in danger and he reports to his father or his sister then we could easily fall back into war and this tenuous alliance would be for nothing" Erwin said seriously. Levi nodded stiffly that he understood, it would cause a problem for both Kingdoms if Maria were to think their Prince was not safe or that his life were in danger. Levi had been mainly focusing on the fact that he was marrying a stranger and hadn't thought of the repercussions if it were to go badly.

Fuck, why did anyone think _he_ of all people would be the right person to keep an alliance intact? At least Eren and I are getting along,  he thought. So far there hadn't been any major issues. He sighed and started talking "We're fine, nothing to report". That should be enough, he refused to give his shitty commander intimate details on their relationship.

 

Erwin's face was stony and serious "I need more information, Levi. Is he happy? Does he feel safe here? Is he in contact with his sister? Has he spoken about his relationship with his father?"

"Fuck, Erwin. I don't know! I've only known him a week!" Levi snapped.

Erwin was not impressed "Levi, it's your job to know. You spent a week talking with him and you didn't ask him about any of it?"

"No, I fucking didn't" Levi snarled standing up to leave.

"Sit down, Levi, we need to discuss this" Erwin insisted. Levi sat back down but he was pissed. What right did Erwin have to pry into his life and his relationship with Eren? Bastard.

"Tell me what you do know, Levi" Erwin demanded and Levi growled at him.

"He seems happy but he's only been here a day so I have no doubt he does not feel fucking comfortable yet. He sure as shit hasn't mentioned his _father_ " Levi spoke the word father with as much venom as possible "and he's writing to his sister at the moment". 

Erwin nodded writing points down and then continued "And you're relationship? Is it going well? Please tell me you've at least consummated the marriage".

Levi's anger was spiking with each invasive question "No, I'm not fucking telling you shit about any of that. It's between Eren and I. No one else" he growled out.

Erwin sighed in frustration and a determined look crossed his face "I'll take that as a no, then. Levi, it's important that I know everything that's going on in order to try and stop and potential threats to this alliance".

"What threats?" Levi asked his voice low.

"Not all of Trost is in agreement when it comes to this alliance. I didn't tell you before because you would have used it as a reason to stop it happening and honestly the benefits do outweigh the risks. A lot of people don't want to be allies with Maria, there is a lot of history between us and most people in Trost have lost someone due to the war and naturally they blame Maria.  I have heard reports that there are small groups forming in retaliation against him, we have disbanded most of them and overall Trost is quite happy but there will always be a few who disagree and that means Eren is not 100% safe in Trost". 

Levi was momentarily stunned at this new information but it only took a second to process. Of course there were people unhappy with this decision, it was the natural way of things but then Erwin had spoken about them possibly being a danger to Eren. It wasn't Eren's fault this was happening! He had barely even been alive when this war had begun! How dare they try and blame him or hurt him! He had given up his home to try and help!

Levi sat fuming in his seat, his thoughts completely encompassed by the danger they had put Eren in by simply bringing him here. He had gotten away from his father only to be brought into this mess?

"You understand why I need to know everything about this alliance, unfortunately this does include your intimate relationship with Eren. It is important to know his mental state in order to keep both him and this alliance safe" Erwin said and Levi nodded stiffly again, he didn't like it at all and he was not giving this bastard more details than necessary but he was starting to see the importance of keeping Erwin in the loop. If it meant keeping Eren safe Levi could endure it.

"Going forward, I'm going to need you to consummate your marriage as quickly as possible, we need it to be official in every way. You're going to have to keep Eren on lockdown, he's not allowed to leave base without a military detail and I want tabs on him at all times. I want to know immediately if he speaks of his father and I want details on their relationship, no matter how bad it is. Also, urge him to keep in contact with his sister, she is strong and will rule next, it's important we have a good relationship with her" Erwin said, all of this was in a serious tone and Levi just sat stunned "oh and probably best not to tell Eren yet".

The bastard had gone too far. This was not fucking happening! Erwin wanted him to keep tabs on Eren? To keep him in the loop on their sex life?! Oh, fuck no. Levi lifted himself to his feet, his eyes glaring in anger and his fists clenched at his side brushing against his blades, itching to use them. 

"You fucking bastard. We are not pieces for you to move around at will. You don't own Eren and you don't fucking control me" Levi was snarling threateningly and Erwin only just seemed to realize how much he had pissed him off "and if he tells me anything about his _father_... I'm fairly fucking certain I'm not going to run and spill all of the details to _you"._ Levi was beyond angry, Erwin sat a little straighter in his chair listening intently to Levi's enraged voice. Levi turned quickly and with one last look of pure hatred at Erwin he stormed out slamming the door behind him.

He marched directly for his room wanting space and silence to process and vent. He banged the door open and strode in only to come face to face with Eren. Eren's happy smile at seeing him vanished completely when he noticed Levi's expression. This was not good, he had forgotten Eren was in here. 

"Levi! What's wrong? what happened?" Eren asked with concern.

"Erwin's a fucking bastard!" Levi snapped. Oh no, don't take this out on Eren, Levi thought.

"Did something happen at the meeting?" Eren asked approaching slowly.

"No shit. Of course something fucking happened!" Levi couldn't stop he just kept yelling at Eren.

"Talk to me, tell me what happened" Eren said calmly still walking slowly forward.

"I'm not fucking talking about my _feelings_ with a shitty brat" Levi raged, his mind had stopped filtering his words, he knew on some level he was only making this worse but his mouth just kept spewing out all of his pent up frustration and worries since he had first heard of this alliance.

"This fucking alliance has turned everything to shit!"

Eren's face fell at his words but then he saw the anger "Don't you think I don't know that!" Eren yelled suddenly "I left my friends and my sister for this! I don't want to be here either! I want to be in my own home and in my own room and not in some horrible military base!"

Eren's anger was coursing through Levi and expanding his own "Don't feel like you have to fucking stay! Go home if you want to so badly!"

"I can't!" Eren yelled and Levi noticed the tears brimming in his eyes "I can't go anywhere! I'm forced to stay here with you because you're my husband!" The tears spilled over and all of a sudden Levi's anger disappeared. He had done the one thing he had promised not too. He had hurt Eren. He had taken out his anger on him when Eren had only tried to comfort him and now he was standing there, face red and tears falling. "I was trying to make this work, Levi" Eren said softly, his voice breaking.

"Eren I-" Levi started forward, he had to fix this.

"Fuck you, Levi!" Eren cried and bolted out of the room not bothering to close it behind him, Eren's footsteps disappearing down the hall.

"Fuck!" Levi shouted kicking the lounge over with his foot.

 

***

 

Levi gave him some time to calm down before going to find him and apologize. He knew it was entirely his fault and he needed to fix it but he thought it best to have some space first and for both of them to calm the fuck down. For their first real fight it had been pretty bad. He had hoped that maybe Eren would come back but no such luck. So, Levi left their rooms to search for him.

It was highly probably that Eren had gotten lost and Levi honestly had no idea where to start looking. He went to the mess hall and the training grounds first before he started looking everywhere and even asking people if they had seen him. Nobody had. After the first hour of being missing Levi was starting to get worried. He had looked nearly everywhere on the base and nobody had seen any trace of him.

After 2 hours, Levi was panicking, he had forced his squad to start searching as well but still nothing. Levi was approaching the gates when someone called out to him, it was Petra and she was pulling along a panicked looking young man. He walked over to them quickly.

"Sir, we know where Eren's gone" Petra reported shoving the young man forward. Levi glared at him but Petra had to prompt him before he spoke.

"I let Prince Eren out of the front gate, Captain. I'm sorry sir, he was upset and I didn't know he wasn't allowed to leave" his hand was over his chest in salute and his voice was higher than usual out of fear. Levi stalked right up to him and got in close to his face.

"And why, may I ask, didn't you report to anyone? I'm sure you knew we were looking for him" Levi said his voice low and dangerous.

"Yes sir, I knew. But I-I..." he trailed off until Levi grabbed his collar threateningly "he was upset sir! I wanted to give him some time!" Levi had to be pulled off the other man by Petra. The young man ran off quickly as soon as he was released.

"Sir, I'll organise our squad to go and find him and bring him back" Petra said. 

Levi nodded at her "Fine but hurry we need people out there now. Erwin's only just told me that it's not safe for him outside the base. I need him back here, Petra".

"Go ahead, sir, we'll follow soon" Petra said turning to run towards their squad. Levi just walked through the gates.

He was on a mission, his blades restocked and his 3D manoeuvring gear attached.

 

***

 

Eren had walked right out the front gate. He needed to be far away. From the base, from Levi and from this fucking marriage. And for the first time since leaving Maria he needed Mikasa. Everything had been so good this morning, he had finally gotten to kiss Levi and he had been riding such a high since then. Well until Levi had burst back into their room completely furious.

Where the fuck did Levi get off yelling at him? Hadn't they been ok? What had Erwin talked to him about? He was starting to breathe erratically as he strode into the village closest to the military base. He'd thought if he could get away and calm down he'd be able to think properly but his mind wasn't stopping, he kept hearing Levi's angry voice over and over in his head yelling at him to go home. Tears were burning at his eyes and he didn't have the ability to stop them but he could duck into an alley, where he could just stop to lean against the wall and try and get his breathing under control.

It wasn't working. He was taking in big gasping breaths and slumped down the wall to sit curled in on himself on the ground. He rested his forehead on his knees and closed his eyes. Images of his father now started to mix with those of Levi. No, please not now, Eren begged. He had managed to keep these attacks at bay since meeting Levi but the argument had triggered something and he was spiralling. He needed to get up and leave but he was frozen in place his heart hammering. His vision was blurring and he couldn't catch his breath.

Mikasa and Armin were usually the ones to find him after a confrontation with his father, they never knew why though. They were the only ones who could calm him down and get him to breathe again. The fact that they weren't here only made Eren panic more. He was alone in an alley, he couldn't breathe and no one knew where he was.

He didn't know how long he just sat there, it felt like hours of just telling himself to breathe and then only being able to gulp in enough to stop from passing out. His mind was still reeling with images, it was mostly his father now but new worries were edging their way in. What if Levi was like his father? What if this was just the start? He had thought he'd escaped but maybe he'd just ended up somewhere worse. His wrist was throbbing at every thought of his father and tears were pouring unchecked down his face at the prospect of what his life could be.

Had Levi's kindness been a front? Eren didn't want to believe it. He knew people got mad and didn't lash out. He had yelled right back at Levi with no intention of physically hurting him but he couldn't fully convince himself. He had hoped too many times that his father would stop but he never did, he only got worse. He remembered back to after his mum had died and the fact that his father had started the same way. It had been just yelling to start with and he had escalated slowly after that.

No, he tried to reason with himself, Levi is not my father. He's not.

But he could be, a quiet voice whispered. That just triggered the tears again and he looped back to Levi yelling at him.

"Hey kid, what are you doing?" a voice called out from far away. Eren tried to look up but he was still frozen in panic.

"Shit, what's wrong with him?" another voice said speaking to the first.

"Dunno" a third voice joined in.

"He must be from the base" the first voice, Den, answered.

"Think he has any money on him? Looks kinda rich" the second voice said. Eren could hear footsteps approaching and tried to stop his panic from expanding. He couldn't. He felt hands on him pulling him up, one man took Eren's arms and pulled them behind his back making Eren let out an anguished sob from the sharp pain coming from his wrist. Another started patting him down looking for money but Den hadn't move forward. He was staring angrily at Eren's face.

"Fucking shit. Stop Ralph, don't you recognise him?" Den said angrily. Ralph looked up,got a good look at Eren's face and recognition sparked in his eyes.

"No fucking way!" Ralph cried stepping back immediately.

"What? Who is it?" the last man said confused.

"It's the fucking Marian Prince that Captain Ackerman had to marry, Yan!" Ralph shouted. Yan immediately let go of Eren and stepped back. "I remember him coming through here yesterday, Den and I had to stop a leak in the roof when they came riding through. It was raining but you don't forget a face like his plus he was on Captain Levi's horse" Ralph was explaining to Yan.

"It can't be, it was raining to hard to see anything" Yan reasoned.

"It's him" Den confirmed "Definitely". Then Den stepped forward, his eyes furious and punched Eren in the jaw. Yan and Ralph stood watching not sure what to do but Den had started yelling "You're country-" a punch to the stomach "is the reason-" a hit to the ribs "we don't have-" another hit to the ribs "a father anymore!" Another punch to the stomach had Eren collapsing on the ground.

"Den, he's royalty! You can't hit him!" Yan was yelling but Ralph's expression had turned dark as well. Eren couldn't breathe at all now and tried to curl up to protect himself. Suddenly a foot connected to his stomach and another hit his leg. Eren was consumed by the pain and completely succumbing to panic.

"Fuck! Den! Ralph! Horses are coming!" Yan was crying, trying to pull his friends away from the battered and broken boy on the ground but they wouldn't stop, then a whirring sound came at them and in a rush of speed and movement Den and Ralph lay unconscious while Yan fled. Levi stood in the alley, rage encompassing him and trying hard not to kill the two boys who had laid hands on Eren.

Eren was whimpering on the ground, he was so sore and light-headed. His breathing had returned a little but not enough to do anything more than stop him from passing out. He saw Levi whip his head around to look over and then the rage disappeared entirely as he rushed over to kneel beside him. 

"Eren? Can you hear me?" Levi was speaking softly his hands brushing over Eren's face. Eren tried to nod but the sudden contact plus the hits to his chest had sparked another attack. 

"Levi? What's happening? Is Eren ok?" It was a female voice, he thought he knew it but he wasn't sure.

"He's having a panic attack, Petra, I need you guys to back up and give us some space" Levi's voice was calm and steady trying hard not to hurt Eren more. "Eren, I need you to breathe for me, ok? In through your nose and out through your mouth, can you do that?" Levi asked softly, Eren thought he may have nodded and then concentrated as much as he could on following Levi's directions. In and out. In and out.

"Good, Eren. That's really good. Just breathe" Levi continued. He had pulled his hand away before when Eren had freaked out but he extended it again to rub comforting circles on his arm. Eren's breath had steadied and his vision was slowly coming back into focus.

"I'm sorry I yelled, Eren" Levi said and Eren could hear the guilt in his voice "I never should have yelled at you. Erwin and I had words and I took it out entirely on you. I'm so sorry, I don't want you going anywhere".

Eren was calming down, his heart slowing and his breathing steady. He looked at Levi and saw the pain and regret on his face.

"I like you, Eren, and I don't want you to leave" Levi said quietly so only Eren could hear him.

Eren was nodding but the tears had started up again, relief flooding through him. Levi was definitely not his father, his father had never apologized to him in his life, Levi was kind if a little short-tempered.

"Y-you can't yell at me again" Eren whispered brokenly. Levi leaned over and brought Eren into a hug, his arms wrapping around his back.

"No more yelling" Levi conceded.

"Will you tell me what Erwin said?" Eren asked softly.

"Yeah, I was planning on it" Levi replied.

They stayed together for a moment before Eren tried to move, Levi stood next to him and pulled his good arm around his neck and then Levi wound his arm around Eren's back helping him steady himself. They walked slowly over to the group of people standing near them and Petra spoke "We brought an extra horse for you". Levi patted her on the arm in thanks and slowly helped Eren up, Levi jumping on after.

"This seems to be happening a lot, brat" Levi said quietly to Eren as they made the slow ride up to the base again, Levi's squad following with both Den and Ralph slumped on the back of a horse.

Eren sighed tiredly but had to agree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. No One Is Alone

Levi had wanted to kill the two men who had hurt him but as they arrived back at base and he watched his squad lead them away he had had to prioritize. Eren was more important than those two at the moment, Eren need his help more than those two needed his foot in their ass. He moved them to the back of his mind for later and focused on Eren who was injured again. Because of him.

Levi helped Eren inside and up to their room. It was a slow trek and Levi could hear Eren's sharp intake of breath every few seconds but he refused to stop or take any more help from Levi. He walked Eren into their rooms and helped take his boots off and climb into bed, Levi left quickly to grab his first aid kit and start to make a pot of tea. He helped remove Eren's shirt to assess the damage on his chest, there were no break's, thank god, but he had heavy bruising to his ribs and stomach. Levi cleaned them thoroughly and wrapped them up, even though Eren complained he was going over the top, he wasn't taking any chances.

He left Eren sitting up quietly in bed and went to grab the tea and two cups. He set everything down on the bedside table and handed Eren a steaming mug, Eren smiled in thanks. Levi didn't know if Eren was comfortable with him being close yet so he pulled a chair over and sat down by the bed, his tea resting on his lap. There was silence between them, each one just sipping slowly on tea.

"It's probably a good idea for us to talk, huh?" Levi asked. Eren nodded but just kept sipping his tea.

Levi sighed "How about I start?" Eren met his eyes and Levi saw the relief there. Levi was going to go first.

"Erwin wanted a report on our marriage" Levi said and watched the surprise and then anger cloud over Eren's face "he wanted me to tell him about our relationship and I refused and got angry". Eren looked pissed but it wasn't directed at Levi.

"What did he want to know?" Eren breathed out.

Levi huffed and continued "He wants me to keep tabs on you, update him on our... uh, relationship and he wants us to make it  _official_ as soon a possible".

Eren was sitting wide eyed and fuming "That bastard".

"I know" Levi said "but unfortunately he made some good points. He informed me that there are some people in Trost not entirely happy with this alliance and who may try and hurt you because of it. Erwin believes if he is kept updated on you and in the loop about the state of our relationship than he will be better able to protect you and foresee any threats".

"I don't like it" Eren fumed "He has no right to that information".

"Yeah, that's what I said" Levi huffed leaning forward "I told him that information was between you and I but again he made some good if not infuriating points. He's a bastard but he's smart".

"What happened then?" Eren asked stiffly.

"He went too far, wanted me to keep you on lockdown at the base, he asked me to keep tabs on you and your relationship with your family and he didn't want you to know I was doing it" Levi said angriy.

Eren's hand's were clenched in the sheets and he was pissed.

"That's when I yelled at him and told him to fuck off" Levi finished "what happens now and what we let Erwin know is what we decide on. I promise I won't tell him anything unless we agree that it's ok".

The anger was leaking of Eren's face to be replaced with disbelief "You would do that? Go behind your commander's back and report false information, for me?"

Levi nodded slowly and took a deep breath "If this is ever going to work between you and I, we need honesty and trust. The trust will come eventually but for now we can start with us being honest and if that means giving Erwin some false information then so be it". Lying and giving bad information was not a light matter, especially if it involved Eren's safety and an alliance between countries but Levi believed it was his only option at this point. He needed Eren to trust him and he was confident in his ability to keep him safe.

"No." Eren said firmly shaking his head "If Erwin believes it's best to know where we are at then tell him, I will not be responsible for putting you in that position. But I do have some rules". Levi was staring at him stunned at the words waiting for him to continue.

"Firstly, I go with you to these meetings and we can report to him together. If Erwin is to be informed about our marriage then I want to know exactly what's being said. Second, we tell him nothing intimate" Eren blushed but forged on "we can tell him where we are at on a general level but nothing too personal. Erwin does not need to know that information no matter what reasons he gives". Levi was nodding, he was listening to Eren raptly hearing the slight command in his voice. "Third, I want to keep my sister informed as well but will only write to her the same information we give Erwin, if we are doing this then I want our Kingdoms on equal footing" Eren's voice then lost all of its command and got pretty quiet, his hands playing with the sheets "And lastly, about the honesty and trust, I will try to be honest with you but there are a lot of things I can't talk about. Things I haven't told anyone and I'm not sure if I can. I-It's not because I don't trust you, I promise, but because it's really hard and confusing and..."

Levi leaned forward and took the mug out of Eren's hand to place on the table, then took Eren's hand in his, waiting for him to meet his eyes. When he did, Levi gave him a small smile and said "Anything you tell me in confidence will stay that way until you say otherwise". Eren let out a sigh of relief and squeezed Levi's hands in thanks. "About the rules, they are all fine by me. You will come to all the meetings whether Erwin likes it or not. General information on our personal life but no intimate details I can definitely agree too. Keeping Mikasa informed is absolutely a good idea, we need to strengthen our relationship anyway and I'm sure you want to let your sister know what's going on in your life. And about the last one, there are details about my life which are honestly not good as well. Information only Erwin knows and that was not by choice, I want to tell you about me but some of it is hard as I'm sure you understand".

Eren nodded again and surprised Levi by leaning over and hugging him "We'll work this out, it just may take some time" Eren said softly in his ear. Levi pulled Eren closer and ran his hands over Eren's back. He then stood up from the chair and climbed into bed next to Eren, both of them sitting against the headboard. Eren sighed and slowly snuggled closer, Levi's arm around him and Eren's head resting on Levi's shoulder.

"We've talked a lot but I still don't know anything about you" Levi whispered more to himself than to Eren then he turned his head and addressed the young Prince "How about we start small?"

"What do you mean" Eren asked curiously.

"Your friends? I actually don't even know the blonde ones name" Levi said steadily but his question made Eren laugh lightly and Levi relaxed immediately at the sound.

"Armin. His name's Armin Arlert. He's brilliant" Eren was smiling at the thought of his friend and Levi just sat listening to him. "He's the same age as Mikasa and me and we met him when we were five. His parents were hired as the new gardeners and when we met him he just kind of fit seamlessly into our little group. He's kind and thoughtful and crazy smart. He actually helps out my sister with a lot of her work and honestly he could probably run Maria all by himself".

"Is he an advisor to your father?" Levi asked genuinely interested in the unassuming blonde he remembered but Eren's face darkened a little at the mention of his father and Levi wished he could take the question back.

"No. He's an advisor to my sister, she'll become Queen and it's important for her to have established and trusted relationships with people before she does. She is strong and confident but she'll still need good people around her if she's going to succeed".

"And your sister? What's she like?" Levi asked glad that his question hadn't ruined anything.

"Amazing. She's my best friend, she's smart and so strong but crazy overprotective of me. After my mum died it went to a whole new level and she barely let me out of her sight, I guess I kind of did the same thing to her though so it was ok. She's almost the only family I have left. This is actually the longest we've ever been apart" Eren's voice got quiet at the end and Levi could hear the sadness, he tried rubbing circles into Eren's back but it probably wasn't helping much. "What about you?" Eren asked suddenly "You and Hange seem to be good friends?"

Levi groaned "That crazy woman will honestly be the death of me." Eren laughed and poked Levi in the stomach "Fine. When I joined the military I was assigned to the same squad and she just attached herself to me. She followed me everywhere for months and talked non stop until I gave up, did the worst thing possible and answered a question. She hasn't let go since". Eren laughed at his answer and Levi smiled glad to hear Eren happy again. 

"And Erwin?" Eren asked cautiously.

"Ah, Erwin's a longer story which I promise I'll tell you in full later but for now he's the one who recruited me. Well, he blackmailed me into joining  but I decided for myself it was where I wanted to stay".

"He blackmailed you?" Eren asked, his head shooting up to stare at Levi's face.

"Yeah, sort of. I was in a bad situation and he offered a way out" Levi replied calmly.

"Oh ok" Eren answered and Levi could tell he was disappointed that he didn't get more but was trying to respect Levi's privacy. Levi was quiet for a moment before deciding to take the first step forward.

"I was living on the streets for a long time" Eren's head jerked up at the sudden information but he stayed quiet and let Levi continue. "My mother worked in a brothel and I was the result of that". Eren's mouth dropped open but he didn't move or say anything.

"She died of disease when I was 4 and my uncle found me awhile later still sitting near her bed, I was starving and pretty close to death and he took me in. My uncle was not a good man, he taught me how to fight and survive, how to be violent. When I was 13, he decided I would be ok so he left me. I used my skill and the violence he taught me to live on the streets, stealing what I needed and fighting to live. Erwin saw me fighting in the street when I was 15 and I guess he saw something there, he cornered me and told me that after the crimes I'd committed I had to choose; prison or the military". 

Eren sat in stunned silence at Levi's words. Levi hadn't thought he'd tell him so much so soon, it was a story only Erwin knew the entirety of and Hange and his squad knew pieces. And now he'd just told the whole thing to this young man he'd barely known a week. And yet, he didn't regret it. It felt right to tell Eren. He just hoped he hadn't scared him off with the facts about his parentage or his less than stellar childhood.

But as always Eren surprised him. He moved against him, gingerly pulling himself up on his knees and then throwing a leg over Levi's lap, careful of his bruised ribs. He sat down, straddling him and hooked his arms around Levi neck pulling him close. He leaned in and kissed him firmly on the lips and then pulled back slightly "Thankyou for telling me that" Eren whispered. Levi was staring at him speechless, not believing his luck at actually having Eren here with him. Then the proximity was too much and Levi drew him in for another kiss.

They kissed slowly, happy in their little bubble until Levi started to press in with his tongue. Eren let out a little moan as he opened his mouth and let Levi enter but it didn't last long before Levi raised his hand to cup Eren's face and Eren winced at the contact with his bruised jaw.

"Sorry, sorry" Levi said quickly pulling back immediately. Eren smiled at him though.

"It's fine, I was just surprised" Eren soothed. Eren leaned back in for another kiss which Levi granted happily until he felt Eren's mouth tensing up at the soreness of his jaw. He pulled back again and met Eren's eyes.

"Later" Levi said hoarsely, brushing gently against the swollen, yellowing bruise and with a last quick kiss he moved Eren off him but didn't let go. Eren huffed but didn't complain, nestling himself tightly into Levi's side.

"Eren?" Levi said getting his attention and continued carefully asking a question that had been worrying him for some time now "How angry were you about this marriage?"

Eren let a a huff of laughter "Pretty fucking mad. I may have instigated a fight with Jean after I heard and Nile Dok _may_ have been injured as well". Levi tried to recall Nile when he was in Maria but he had been too preoccupied to notice anything odd about the man.

"What happened to Dok?" Levi asked curious. Eren smiled mischievously.

"He may have been hit in the face with a rather large hardcover book" Eren admitted.

Levi raised and eyebrow "You threw a book at Nile Dok's head?"

Eren was shaking his head "No, definitely not. I still maintain that the book flew off the shelf entirely of its own accord to nail him in the jaw". Levi snorted out a laugh at that only wishing he had been there to watch. Eren smiled at Levi's laugh but continued seriously.

"I mean, I've been resigned to the idea my marriage would be arranged my whole life. I didn't like it but I'm the youngest child and although my mother was eventually married to my father and made Queen I was technically born illegitimate, as well. Thankfully, that has never been an issue because everyone knew that Mikasa would be Queen after my father and I would be married off to help strengthen our country. It's unfortunately how it's done in Maria, royalty doesn't really get the luxury of marrying for love. My father was never one for sentiment and I think a lot of the time he saw Mikasa and I as more property than children. He liked to plan ahead and with two children he had more options.

He saw Mikasa as our future Queen and had her educated and trained her for it, he respected her and I think he liked her more because of what she was meant for, his daughter was becoming a Queen that he could be proud of. The same rules didn't really apply to me. I wouldn't ever be King of Maria unless something terrible happened to Mika before she had children, so I was brought up for two different futures.

I had the same studies as my sister only in case the worst were to happen and I would inherit the crown instead but I was also lectured and educated in the knowledge that it was most likely that I would marry for an alliance. To my father, Mika was a player in the game whereas I was more of a good hand for him to play at the right moment." Eren paused lost in thought and Levi just hugged him tighter. He never knew just how lonely and distant his life must have been from others but from the way he spoke about his father and his sister Eren had apparently spent a lot of time trying to please them. After a moment Eren started talking again.

"So, yes I was angry but more on the idea that I had never met you before and that I would have to leave my home and my family. It happened very quickly as well and didn't give me a lot of time to get used to the idea, I couldn't process what was happening before I was packed up, married off and sent away".

"I'm sorry, Eren" Levi said continuing to rub gentle circles on Eren's back.

"It's not your fault, Levi. Honestly it's not anyone's fault,we just happened to be the right pieces that could allow our Kingdom's the peace we desperately needed. The war needed to end and this was the best way for it to happen, as I said I was fully aware I was going to marry a relative stranger and if we got peace out of this marriage than I am ok with it" Eren said steadily and Levi nodded his agreement, Eren blushed and continued "Plus being married to you really isn't that bad. I actually quite like you".

Levi snorted and then said dryly "I quite like you too, brat".

Eren rolled his eyes at the brat part but smiled happily "Do you think it might be possible to organize a visit from Mika and Armin?" Eren asked hopefully.

"Yes, Eren, that I think I can manage" Levi replied and Eren beamed at him.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before a look of horror passed over Eren's face "Oh god, Levi, whatever we do we cannot let Armin and Hange speak alone for to long".

Levi looked confused but after a moment of thought the same horrified expression passed over him too "No, definitely not. We cannot leave them unsupervised. God knows what they could come up with if we leave them alone too long".

Eren groaned "They met in Maria! They already have a head start! They have definitely already started on a plan for world domination I'm sure."

Levi groaned too but a smile was flickering over his face at their light banter "Is Armin capable of that? I know for sure Hange is, but Armin?"

Eren looked up to meet Levi's eyes and said in a dead serious voice "He may be small and look innocent but he is an evil mastermind. If he wants you to do something it always ends up happening most of the time without you realising he was even behind it. He's truly scary". 

Levi stared into Eren's eyes and laughed at his dramatic explanation "I'm glad they're on our side then".

"Me too" Eren sighed, snuggling deeper into Levi's side. He was content and slowly recovering from the long day. Night was closing in on them and Eren was completely exhausted, Levi didn't even bother suggesting they change. He was too comfortable and warm to get up and didn't want to move the young man next to him even slightly. He could feel Eren succumbing to sleep so he just stayed quiet and let him.

Levi was happy that they had finally talked and that they knew more about each other, it was a start for them, something they could build up from and hopefully soon Eren would trust Levi enough and feel comfortable in confiding in him. He wanted to know about Eren's life and his relationship with his father, he wanted to help him in any way he could. The sleeping brunette had been through too much by now to keep shouldering it alone and Levi desperately wanted to help.

 


	13. Maybe This Time

The next day Levi had gotten up before Eren and visited the mess hall to pick up his breakfast, Levi had delivered it to him in bed, kissed him quickly and then walked away to go train recruits. Eren had happily stayed in bed that morning, sleeping a little more and reading a book that Levi had left for him plus his entire body _did_ ache from the previous day. It was when Levi brought him lunch in bed as well that Eren started getting uncertain. They ate together in relative silence and when Eren mentioned joining Levi for afternoon training, Levi shut down the idea immediately. 

"You're still injured, brat, just stay in bed" Levi said forcefully. Eren was not happy but he sucked it up and let Levi go back to training, after an hour he figured he would be safe to get up and go visit him without Levi being able to do anything to stop him. He was wrong. It had taken Eren a lot of painful steps to reach the training ground only to have Levi spot him, give him an evil look, completely stop training and then march him straight back to bed. Eren yelled the whole way, Levi yelled back not giving in.

He was brought dinner as well but didn't speak to Levi except to offer him a small, stiff thankyou. He knew he was being petty and childish and that Levi was just being considerate of his health but he was so bored. Plus he kind of hoped that ignoring Levi would irritate him into letting him up earlier, he hoped that Levi would miss him enough to want him up and around. Again, he was wrong. 

After dinner Levi had gathered up their plates to return them to the mess hall but before he walked out he knelt on the bed and leaned in to press a chaste kiss against Eren's lips and whispered "I know what you're doing, brat. No matter how much you ignore me I promise you won't leave this bed until you are 100% better". 

Eren groaned in annoyance "You're  worse than Mikasa!" Well, maybe not quite. Levi just snorted a laugh and walked out.  He was fine! I mean, yeah it hurt to walk with his ribs and fine his wrist was useless in actually doing anything but Levi was totally overreacting.

Levi didn't return until late that night, stepping quietly through the door and into their bathroom to wash up. Eren was still up completely immersed in his book (he had picked it up out of boredom but it had completely pulled him in). He was so absorbed in the story he was't actually aware of the time anymore or the fact Levi had even come back, so when he heard Levi's voice across the room he let out a high-pitched yelp, dropped his book and jumped about a foot off the bed.

Levi snorted and repeated himself "I asked what you're still doing up but I guess I know now".

"Levi! What are you doing here! I thought you had meetings?" Eren was speaking quickly trying to cover up his hammering heart and subtly picking his book up. 

"I've been to all of them. It's really late, I thought you'd be asleep" Levi sounded tired.

Eren smiled sheepishly "It was really good, I didn't even realise how late it got". Levi sighed and walked over, climbing into bed.

"Do you want to finish it?" he asked sincerely. Eren saw the dark circles under Levi's eyes and how he was struggling to keep them open and Eren's anger faded. 

He smiled over at Levi and shook his head "I'm good" he turned over, kissed Levi gently and then went to quickly wash up and turn out the lights. He slid back into bed and Levi's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry you were bored today" Levi muttered tiredly wrapping his arms around the brunette. Eren didn't say anything but in that moment he wasn't really annoyed anymore, he was just glad to have Levi with him, to pull himself close and let sleep take him.

 

***

 

It lasted until morning when Levi kissed him awake, placed his breakfast on the bedside table and told him to stay put again. He watched Levi walk out with his eyes narrowed and anger bubbling. He decided quickly that he was definitely not staying in bed, he would just not visit Levi, he could wander around the base and maybe find a library, he never _did_ get that tour. After he finished his food he got up excited about his plan for the day, washed up, got dressed and picked up his food tray to return it to the mess hall first. It took him a long time to get dressed with his broken wrist and without Levi's help but determination won out and he was finally going to leave.

He stepped outside and came face to face with two young soldiers. He stopped and stared at them. Levi had posted guards?!  No fucking way! The boy was probably shorter than Levi, he had a completely shaved head and a goofy look on his face. The girl stood a little taller, with brown hair tied up and her mouth full of food. They stared at him and he stared back. Both parties in shock.   


"Oi, Connie, he did come out" the girl whispered to the boy her eyes huge and food escaping her mouth and falling to the floor. The boy, Connie, nodded and held his hand out to her but not looking away from Eren.

"I win" Connie said making grabby gestures with his fingers, the girl sighed and handed over some notes.

"I totally though he'd stay in there all day" the girl whined.

"We've been through this, Sasha, if the guy ran off military base because he was upset then he definitely isn't staying in his room for long" Connie explained, turning to her, sounding very satisfied with himself.

"Yeah but _Captain Levi_ told him to stay there" Sasha grumbled, her eyes focusing on Connie and their argument, "Why would you willingly go against the Captain, he's so scary". Eren just watch silently stunned at their bickering, they weren't even paying attention to him anymore.

"Well, obviously _he_ doesn't think he's scary" Connie said pointing at Eren.

"He has too! Everybody does!" Sasha wailed back at him "the Captain's a monster!"

"He's out of the room, Sasha, so he's probably willing to risk it!" Connie cried exasperated. They sounded like they had had this argument a few times already.

"Ah, hello?" Eren called to them and they both snapped their heads back around to look at him, he continued in a firm voice "First of all, Levi is not scary. Secondly, yes I am out of the room, there's no way I'm fucking staying there another day". Connie and Sasha looked shocked at his language and the fact he was talking to them at all.

"Thirdly, you better fucking move out of my way because I am leaving and I'd like to see you stop me. And lastly, you guys were betting on whether or not I'd come out?" Eren asked giving them both what he hoped was a strong and forceful look. They visibly gulped.

Connie was rubbing his hands over his head, fidgeting "Well, Sasha was sure you weren't going to come out because Captain Levi's like really intimidating and if he tells someone to stay somewhere they do but I figured that you were royalty and probably didn't like taking orders so I bet her you _would_ come out..." he trailed off his face going red with embarrassment.

Sasha was still staring at him "Do you really think Captain Levi isn't scary?" she blurted out. Eren laughed at that, thinking of the man who had kissed him and let him curl up against him in bed last night. Scary? No. Annoying and overbearing? Definitely.

"No, definitely not" Eren replied lightly. Sasha's mouth dropped open.

"Seriously? But he's like 1000 pounds of angry in a 100 pound package!" Connie exclaimed. 

Eren let out a bark of laughter "I'll be sure to tell him you said that!" Connie's face paled and he backed up .

"Connie, he just hasn't seen him angry!" Sasha exclaimed facing Connie, who was nodding in agreement.

Eren just laughed harder "Trust me, I've seen him angry. It's really not all that bad, honestly it would be hot if it wasn't so fucking irritating".

Sasha and Connie were staring at him again, Sasha slapped Connie on the shoulder a few times and whispered "Connie, he called him hot. He called _Captain Levi_ hot".

"I know, Sash, I heard it" Connie whispered back unable to tear his gaze from Eren.

Eren just sighed at them and walked forward, he'd already wasted so much time already "well now that we've established I think my husband is hot and not that scary, I'm leaving". He tried to step forward but Sasha and Connie snapped to attention.

"I'm sorry, we're not allowed to let you leave" Connie said.

"We have orders to keep you in your room by any means necessary" Sasha finished. Eren just raised an eyebrow at them.

"Did Levi order you to do this?" Eren asked steadily, trying to control his anger.

"Yes, sir!" Connie cried.

"Alright, that's it!" Eren yelled "I'm going to see my asshole husband right now!" Eren stormed off as quickly as he could without hurting his sore ribs. Connie and Sasha scampered after him, calling out.

"Please no! Your highness, he said we'd have to run until the sun comes up if we let you leave!" Connie called out only fuelling Eren's anger.

"We'll miss dinner!" Sasha cried out behind him.

Eren just kept walking with Sasha and Connie crying out after him to stop but with his injuries and connection to Levi they were too afraid to physically stop him. He reached the training grounds and saw Levi first. Connie and Sasha had stopped far away from their Captain and were watching panicked from a distance. Levi was in the middle of talking to the recruits, his voice intense and commanding.  Eren stalked right up to him. Some of the recruits noticed him first and confusion passed over their faces until Eren reached out and grabbed Levi's arm to spin him around then they were just shocked.

Levi spun quickly at the contact and immobilised him in an instant, twisting his good arm up and behind his back and put a lot of pressure into overpowering him. It was only for a moment because as soon as Levi noticed who had grabbed him he let go immediately and started apologizing.

"God, Eren, I'm sorry" Levi said getting close and moving his hand to rub his arm where he had put so much pressure only moments ago.

Eren sighed a little and spoke firmly "I'm fine, Levi. I'm fucking pissed off but not hurt". Levi's eyes narrowed and he actually registered Eren's presence.

"What the fuck are you doing down here?!" Levi yelled.

"What the fuck are you doing putting guards at my door?!" Eren shouted back. Levi's eyes snapped over to Connie and Sasha cowering over by a fence.

"Really, Eren? It's because I knew you'd try this again!" Levi growled.

"I'm so fucking bored and I'm not some shitty invalid!" Eren spat "I can fucking walk!"

Levi scowled at him "It hasn't been two days yet, you still have a broken wrist and have just come off an entire week of riding. You need to be in bed".

Eren glared back at him "I am not a child and I don't need to rest anymore. I know my limits, Levi, I know what I can withstand and I've dealt with a lot worse than this before" he snarled then he stopped. Shit, what the fuck had he just said?! Eren's eyes widened at the information he'd accidentally spilled out. Levi looked at him in shock at the words but Eren noticed he didn't look surprised. 

Oh god, Levi already knows, Eren thought suddenly, he knows what I mean, he knows about my father. How?  Eren was panicking. He was going to try and tell Levi about his father in his own time, not blurt it out in anger in the middle of a training ground full of nosy recruits!

"Breathe, Eren, just breathe" Levi soothed. 

No no no no! Eren thought. Please let Levi misunderstand. Maybe he could say he was clumsy or got into a lot of fights? There were so many reasonable lies he could tell him, just pick one. Just one. But he thought about their conversation and about trying to be honest with each other and he just couldn't do it. He dropped down to his knees and breathed in and out staying quiet but the panic was creeping over him.

"Eren, you don't have to say anything" Levi spoke quietly so only he could hear him "I promised you time until you were ready. I promise you can tell me nothing or everything or just pieces. I won't say anything, I know it's impossibly hard".

Eren nodded his breathing stabilizing at Levi's words.

"Marco Bodt! Get over here" Levi called out towards the recruits and a tall, freckled boy walked over quickly.

"Yes, sir?" Marco asked.

"Go and find Squad Leader Hange, bring her here and get her to take over training, I'm leaving with Eren" Levi said. Marco nodded and ran off towards the barracks. Levi leaned over to make sure Eren's breathing was better and then addressed the recruits, "Stay here, Hange will be here soon to take over. Don't fuck around".

He helped Eren up and then walked him as quick as possible away from the training grounds. 

Maybe I should have stayed in bed, Eren thought bitterly.

 

***

 

Eren fell onto the couch tiredly and watched Levi walk away and head into their small kitchen to make them tea. Eren stared in wonder at Levi's small frame, his breathing had steadied and he was thinking rationally again.  That was first time a panic attack had stopped before he could spiral, Levi had successfully calmed him down and helped him through it. Even Mikasa and Armin had never managed that.

He was a lot calmer now and could begin to organize his thoughts, Levi definitely knew more about his father  than he was letting on and if Levi knew than Erwin definitely did. Which made Eren understand a little better why the Commander wanted to keep such a close eye on him, if Eren were unstable or possibly broken it could prove difficult to keep this alliance and both of their countries safe.

He watched Levi making tea while he was trying to figure out what to say. Should he stay quiet and wait? Or trust in Levi? It was a huge step for him, he'd never even told Mika or Armin, why should he tell Levi? He'd barely know him a fortnight. Yes, they were married but really that didn't mean shit. It came down to whether he trusted Levi enough to confide in him.  Eren thought about Levi and how he had trusted him and told him about his mother and childhood. Could Eren do the same? Did he even want too?

Levi had said Eren didn't have to do or say anything until he was ready. Maybe he could tell him some of it? Tell him how it started and see how it felt. Levi was finished making tea and was walking back to Eren with two mugs in his hands, he passed one to Eren and then sat down quietly next to him on the lounge. They didn't speak but sipped their steaming tea and waited. After a few moments of silence when Eren realised Levi was keeping his word and not asking, that he was going to wait until Eren was ready, did he open his mouth.

"Do you remember the Earthquake in Maria about 9 years ago?" Eren asked quietly staring into his mug. He could talk about his mum, he decided he could trust Levi with this much.

"Of course, it caused a lot of damage throughout Maria, there were injuries but surprisingly nobody was killed" Levi said softly " We actually had a moment of peace between our countries".   


"It was much worse than that" Eren whispered "Buildings and roads were destroyed, businesses and schools, it affected a lot of people but we _were_ lucky in a way" Eren continued his voice trembling "we only lost one person that day. My mum".

Levi looked shocked and a little confused "Eren, I didn't know, I'm so sorry" but Eren was slowly shaking his head.

"No one knew outside of our family and the few people who had found us. My father believed it would have devastated our entire Kingdom if in the middle of this horrible earthquake where everyone had thought they had gotten lucky and nobody had been killed, we then told them it had killed their Queen" Eren said brokenly "so my father made a decision. We would stay quiet until things were better, until homes had been rebuilt and people had recovered enough to cope. Rumours were spread that mum was sick with fever and eventually it was announced she had passed peacefully in her sleep". Tears were running down Eren's face but he didn't bother to try and stop them, the worst part was still to come.

"Eren, god, I'm-" Levi started, his voice was hoarse with emotion but Eren held up a hand for him to stop.

"I n-need to get this out, Levi, I'm n-not done. Sorry" Eren whispered, glancing up to look at Levi, who nodded.

Eren took a deep, steadying breath and continued "We were together that day, mum had been busy helping my father with business outside the palace but she came back early because she missed me and Mikasa" Eren's smile was small but sad at the little memory of his mum "she surprised us with presents she bought from the markets in a small village. She'd bought us kites, promising we'd fly them down on the beach near the ocean on our holiday. I remember Mika running over and hugging mum and then sprinting outside to go and show Armin but I stayed inside because I was more excited to see my mum.

She hugged me and pulled me onto the lounge with her so she could tell me stories of her trip but the earthquake started before she could talk. It was really sudden too, the walls and floor started shaking really badly and she pulled me onto the ground to cover me. I saw the bookshelf fall over and jam the door closed and everything was collapsing around us. The walls were creaking, the ceiling was splitting, debris was falling everywhere and my mum just lay over me trying to protect me from everything.

It was probably only a few minutes before everything collapsed but it felt so much longer. The walls just caved in on us and everything fell on mum. I remember she kept repeating my name over and over, I think she was scared that I was hurt. I just kept yelling out for her, I could't do anything else I was so scared. She... she stopped talking after the wall collapsed and I remember having to climb out from under her and then I just sat close, holding her hand. I was crying and yelling for her to come back but she just didn't move. 

It took them hours to dig us out and I remember screaming at them not to take me away, all I remember was needing to stay with my mum.  They said it shouldn't have happened. They said we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and that the quake hit that room a lot harder than it should have. They said it was an accident. It doesn't matter though because it took my m-mum away forever and I d-don't think my f-f-father ever forgave me. We had to bury her alone. Just me and Mika. M-my father refused to come".

Eren was still crying his voice broken and empty over reliving that day, it was the worst moment in his life.  Levi was sitting shocked next to him but when Eren put his tea down and pulled his knees to his chest and started sobbing, his chest heaving, Levi snapped into action. He moved so fast and engulfed Eren in a hug, Eren wrapped his arms tightly around Levi's neck and completely broke down. He hadn't cried this hard since her funeral but all of his pent up emotion was just coming out in waves and he couldn't stop.

Levi just held him for what felt like hours until he couldn't cry anymore and was just sniffling on Levi's shoulder.

"Thankyou for trusting me, Eren" Levi breathed out and kissed him lightly on the lips. Eren just nodded, nestling down against Levi, he wanted to stay there and never move again. He'd told Levi a bit more about himself and Levi hadn't left, he was still holding him and didn't seem to want to ever let go. He felt safe and secure in his arms. He felt loved.

"How about you come down to training with me tomorrow?" Levi asked gently. Eren nodded into his chest. "Promise me you'll sit down and not move around?"

"Yes" Eren said quietly and Levi nodded, wrapping him tighter against him, doing whatever he could to make Eren feel better. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst but next chapter you'll find out what happens to the guys who hurt Eren plus more Sasha and Connie!!


	14. It Gets Better

Levi lay in bed looking closely at the young man tucked against him, they were on their sides face to face now, Eren's lithe body curled up and his forehead resting near Levi's chest. Eren's hands had moved up and were lying loosely between them, Levi could still see the yellowing bruise on his cheek and was listening to the deep even pulls of his breathing. He was so comfortable and content he never wanted to move from this spot with Eren, he knew he still had an entire day of training ahead of him and he still hadn't been able to tell Eren about the two young men who had attacked him.

The night it happened Levi had not slept well, his thoughts kept going over and over the attack. He had rushed in and seen a lot of what had happened, they had kicked Eren to the ground and just kept going even though Eren was already down. Rage had taken over and he had put them down quickly, knocking them unconscious and then he went straight for Eren.

Eren hadn't been able to breathe in at all for a few moments and when Levi had tried to touch him it seemed to only make it worse. He had seen panic attacks before but not this severe, Eren had been spiralling quickly and Levi had tried to take control only needing Eren to start breathing again. His soothing words had seemed to work and soon enough Eren's breath had steadied and he was able to touch him comfortingly again. Much needed apologies had spilled out of his mouth and Eren had nodded but Levi remembered too well his hoarse, broken voice whispering "Y-you can't yell at me again". Levi's heart had cracked at the words and he promised he'd try to never yell at Eren in anger again. He had been sure they would argue again and they had not even 24 hours later but it was different, Levi had yelled for Eren's health not  _at_  him and not in anger.

The morning after, he had left their bed very early way before Eren woke up, his mind still reeling and his anger bubbling. He had to go and see those shitstains, they needed to be punished for what they did. The wrath he had put aside in favour of helping Eren was coming back full force and those two would regret ever laying a hand on him. If they lived to regret it that is.

He stalked towards the building at the far corner of the base where they held their prisoners. His boots had echoed on the stone floor as he approached the cells, he was furious but he controlled his face and lost all expression, he hadn't quite been able to do anything about the evil glare his eyes were giving out though. He had finally stepped in front of the cell and the two people inside noticed him immediately. He had backed up against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and glared at them. They both jumped off their beds and stumbled to their feet to stand at attention close to the bars dividing them from Levi. They knew who he was, Levi thought, Good.

"You understand what you've done?" Levi had asked darkly. They didn't move. Levi had watched those pathetic excuses for men fold quickly just from a look.

"You attacked a Prince of Maria" Levi said taking a step forward. They had both started sweating.

"You threatened a peace treaty between warring Kingdoms". Another step. More sweat.

"You hurt an innocent boy who you have never met before nor has he personally done anything to you". He had taken one more step. The young men in the cell stiffened.

Levi had reached the bars, thrust a hand in and grabbed a shirt collar, yanking the man forward. The man stood a good head taller than Levi but was whimpering at his mere presence. Levi had raised an eyebrow and closed the distance between them pulling the man right up against the cool metal bars. Levi stepped over so they were inches apart and had spoken slowly and dangerously "I understand you lost someone. Everyone in Trost has lost someone to this fucking war. I do  _not_  understand why you think that hurting an innocent person will in any way make it better" His grip had tightened around the shirt "You will never touch Eren again".

And with that he had brought the man's head back and then forward and slammed it against the bars with such force he had crumpled to the ground unconscious. The other young man was crying whether in fear or desperation Levi had neither known nor cared. Levi moved his gaze over.

"Give your friend a message" Levi had said venomously, looking straight into his panicked eyes "You will leave Trost. I don't care where the fuck you go but if I ever see your faces here again you will wish I had killed you now. You have one week. Be glad you have your life".

And in a quick movement that the man definitely did not see coming, Levi had swung his slim leg right through the gap in the bars to kick him between his legs, he let out a cry of pain and fell to his knees on the floor. Levi had given him one last dead look before he walked out and right into Erwin. His commander had been leaning against the cell block wall waiting for him.

"I expect they're still alive?" Erwin had asked casually.

"More or less" Levi had grunted and kept walking, it was close to breakfast and he thought Eren would probably be waking up soon. Erwin followed him.

"What did you decide?" Erwin asked as if they where talking about the weather.

"I want them out of Trost in a week" Levi had warned him "and Eren is not to see them".

Erwin raised an eyebrow "Not dead, then? Their actions could warrant a death sentence".

"No, this is worse. They're fucking idiots not evil and now they have to leave their home. That is more than enough" Levi had replied. "However, if they dare to come back I will not hesitate to kill them".

They had walked to the mess hall in silence and Levi went straight to get his food. He sat down next to Erwin, they were basically alone in the room as the sun had only recently risen and everyone else would have only just been waking up.

"How is Eren doing?" Erwin had asked politely.

"Fine" Levi answered and then he had remembered his conversation with Eren the day before and figured then was as good a time as any to tell his commander. "Eren and I will both be joining you for any meeting you want to have regarding our marriage and this alliance. Eren wants to know what's being said and will also be communicating that to his sister".

Erwin had watched Levi closely as he talked, a little shock on his face at the information. 

"You will only get general information on our personal lives, nothing more than you need to know and I will definitely not be keeping tabs on him. He will stay inside the base for now but I'm sure that won't last long" Levi had finished sighing at the thought of his stubborn husband.

His stubborn husband who was finally waking up beside him. Levi snapped out of his memories and focused on Eren, he was still in the fuzzy area between awake and asleep and Levi just watched him slowly come back to consciousness. Eren yawned and wiggled around trying to bury himself deeper in the warmth of the bed, Levi had figured out pretty quickly that Eren was not a morning person. And that he should only try and steal his blankets from him on pain of death.

"Morning" Levi whispered still lying beside him. Eren blinked an eye open and tried to focus on Levi.

"Morning" Eren replied blearily snuggling closer to Levi, his head against Levi's chest and Levi's chin nestled on Eren head. 

"You up for watching some training this morning" Levi whispered, he felt Eren nod his head. "Just promise me you'll take it slow?"

He felt Eren nod again and then they just lay there refusing to move from away from their bubble.

 

***

 

Eren had made Levi late to training. He didn't want to let Levi up and that resulted in Eren's arms trying to forcibly keep Levi in bed and his lips kissing Levi all over trying to keep him there, he knew Levi was only humouring him and that he would have been able to get away from Eren's attempts in a second but the fact he hadn't tried all that hard made Eren very happy. Levi hadn't wanted to leave either. They had had to skip breakfast because of it and Eren's stomach was growling as soon as they had left the building, walking quickly towards the training area.

"Tch, if you had let me up we would have been able to eat" Levi chided.

"You weren't really trying all that hard to get away, Levi" Eren joked lightly, Levi just ignore him.

"I've never been late to training" Levi continued stiffly.

"Eh, it's about time then" Eren said happily moving over to hold on to Levi's hand. When he had woken up that morning he had felt lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could only attribute it to his talk with Levi. He made Eren feel better, more safe, more secure and honestly he just felt loved, he hadn't been like this in a long time. Before his mum had died everything had been normal, he was loved deeply by so many people but afterwards he had just shut everyone out not wanting to lose someone like that again. Mikasa and Armin had barged there way in and refused to leave him alone and he was so grateful for them but Levi... Levi was something entirely new.

He was starting to  _want_  to let Levi in and trust him with everything. It was insane, they had only known each other for less than 2 weeks and yet Eren couldn't help it. Telling Levi about his mum had broken a dam and now he just wanted the man in on every part of his life. He knew he could trust him now even after such a short time, he knew that he liked Levi but it was growing so quickly now and the more time he spent with him the more he never wanted to let go. It was fucking ridiculous and sappy but he couldn't help it. He was seriously falling for Levi.

He twined his fingers with Levi's with no complaints from the shorter man until they reached the fence and Levi left him to sit and watch. Eren was consumed in watching Levi again and didn't even notice when someone sat next to him, so when Hange spoke he jumped and turned to face her. She was laughing.

"I asked whether you were ok after yesterday?" she grinned but her words sounded sincere.

"Fine, thanks. I'm just glad to be out of that fucking room. Being forced to stay in there is really not all that fun" Eren complained but his tone was light.

Hange was looking at him curiously "You seem different today, Eren, I'm not sure but you seem happier".

Eren smiled and shrugged but was surprised at how much the woman noticed. Was he really that easy to read? "Levi and I finally get to talk properly now. It's kind of a relief to get things out in the open for both of us".

Hange was nodding and then she looked over at Levi as he walked the recruits through an exercise "It's honestly very strange to see him smile" she said quietly.

Eren blinked "Strange? But Levi smiles all the time. It's not all that obvious but it's there".

Hange smiled at him "Trust me, Eren, I've know him a long time and he is almost always in a constant state of either irritation or just anger but now he actually smiles a little. It's super weird to see and when we heard him laughing on the way here, I think Eld and Gunther both almost died of shock, it's that rare".

"Really?" Eren whispered his eyes lingering on his husband's back. He was making Levi happier, that thought alone could probably have kept him happy for years. Eren watched Levi for a few moments before Hange's excited voice broke through.

"Ooh! I bet he hasn't even mentioned it yet! Of course he hasn't, he's  _Levi,_ but he has to come this year! It's only two weeks away! You'll make him go won't you Eren? It'll be so much fun! I'm certain you can talk him into it!" Hange rambled not pausing for breath.

"Whoa, Hange, what?" Eren asked confused.

"The military ball, of course. It's held every year in celebration and thanks for all of the soldiers for keeping Trost safe. Levi never goes but you'll convince him right?" Hange was squealing. Eren thought on it, besides desperately wanting to see Levi in his formal military uniform again and have a chance to dance more with him he was sure that attending a ball would be a great opportunity to meet people. He needed to make connections here, a point his father had stressed in the month leading up to the wedding, and a social event in favour of the military was perfect. He smiled over at Hange and she lunged on him hugging him in happiness.

"That's a yes, right?" Hange said excited.

"Well, it depends. Just how against the ball is Levi?" Eren asked already starting to plot ways to get his husband to agree.

"Very. He's only been once. He hated it and never went back, no matter who was there, he refused to go" Hange said.

"Yeah, so this could be fun" Eren said mischievously, his eyes glittering at the prospects. 

"Oh, I knew I like you" Hange said excitedly.

"You want to help me with a plan?" Eren asked turning to her with an impish smile. He was already thinking up fun ways he could persuade his husband to come with him and he was sure Hange would only think of something better.

"I definitely like you" Hange confirmed and her smile broke out across her face. "So, Eren, what are you willing to do to get Levi to agree?" she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him, Eren wasn't even embarrassed his mind way beyond that. 

"Hmm, I'm not sure yet" Eren said quietly "we need to figure out how much is just enough to persuade him".

"Ok, well you should probably tell me where you are at and then I can tell you what needs to happen" Hange said. Eren did blush this time.

"Nothing" Eren whispered.

"What was that?" Hange asked her voice rising in pitch.

"We've only kissed" Eren muttered and much to his surprise Hange let out a shriek of delight.

"This is excellent! We have so much to play with now!" Hange screamed "Oh, I almost feel bad for the poor man". They both turned to see Levi 'helping' a recruit with how to throw a punch correctly, they winced at the impact, "I did say almost, right?"

Eren was laughing, today was going to be a good day. He was out of his room, he would get Levi to go to this ball  _and_  get to tease him in the meantime. Hange would help him with a plan and Eren would be well on his way to making important social connections with Trost. He knew he could probably use reason to get Levi to go but dismissed that idea immediately as soon as Hange started spouting elaborate plans. This way was so much more fun.

 

***

 

When he could see Levi winding down training for their 10 minute break, Hange had to leave so Eren said a quick goodbye and promised to let her know how it goes and then started forward. He didn't approach Levi but instead ran over to Sasha and Connie who were now surrounded by other recruits. He walked towards them and when he was a couple of metres out they noticed him and their conversation stopped as they stared. Sasha and Connie both looked scared but the other five people just looked curious.

"Sasha? Connie?" Eren asked, they nodded stiffly "Can I have a word?" They looked at each other in panic but nodded and followed him a little away from their group.

"How would you like to have the afternoon off" Eren began, the excitement leaking into his voice. They both looked really confused but hopeful.

"What do you mean?" Connie asked slowly.

"I need Levi for a few hours but he has training with all of you today and he wouldn't run out on that, so..." Eren took a breath, this was it "I need you two to piss him off so much he leaves on his own".

They stared at him in shock "No, no, no!" Sasha cried shaking her head "he will actually kill us!"

"No way!" Connie said his face pale "I like my head where it is!"

Eren groaned internally, ok not a great start. "What if I can promise you that I can call off whatever punishment he gives you?" Eren coaxed, they both stared at him. "There'll be no repercussions except the initial, uh, attack".

They didn't look too happy about that. "What do you need him for? If it's that important can't you just ask him to leave?"

"I need him to go to the military ball and yes, I probably could just ask" Eren sighed "but honestly this way is much more fun and I'm kind of betting on you two to help so I can continue with my plan".

"You have a  _plan_?" Sasha asked, she was curious and Eren knew he had hooked her.

"I do" Eren smiled a little.

"Can you tell us?" Connie asked more interested than panicked now.

"Hmm, ok how about in addition to an afternoon off I will sit with you at lunch tomorrow and tell you all about it?" Eren asked them knowing they were much too curious now to pass it up.

"But what if he just kills us, leaves and then Hange or someone else replaces him?" Connie asked.

"Hange has that covered" Eren said firmly and their eyes widened.

"Hange's in on it?" Sasha whispered excited now.

"Yeah, the plan's a little delicate and honestly it just has Hange written all over it" Eren replied.

"So, we have to piss off Captain Levi, hope he doesn't kill us and then we get a free afternoon?" Sasha surmised.

"Well yes. You only have to piss him off enough to make him leave, I can work with that much" Eren agreed. This was actually working!

Sasha looked over at Connie and as their eyes met Eren knew they already had a plan. They were in. 

"You promise no repercussions?" Connie asked and Eren nodded.

"I can't tell what he'll do initially but he's in a good mood today so it probably won't be physical" Eren continued.

" _This_  is Captain Levi in a good mood?" Sasha exclaimed, Eren just ignored her.

"So, you'll do it?" Eren asked happily.

"Yeah, I'm way to curious now not too" Connie groaned.

"Sasha?" Eren asked turning to her.

"Yeah, I'm in too" Sasha said "but promise you'll tell us everything over lunch tomorrow, we might actually die because of this". Eren laughed at her dramatics and promised he would tell them all of it. Not all of it, he thought later, but well  _most_  of it.

He returned to his seat on the fence without talking to Levi, he was pretty sure his face would give away everything, and focused on the group. Sasha had run over to a bag she had left on the ground, brought something out and walked back with it out of view. Connie had stepped forward and was now standing at the front of the group with a space saved for Sasha when she finally raced over.

Levi began their next session with talking to them like he always did but when he was only a minute in Eren watched Sasha pull the thing she was hiding out and in front of her. It was a bread roll from breakfast. She looked at it, gulped and then proceeded to break it in half. The sound and movement caught Levi's attention and his eyes narrowed as they focused in on her and the bread. She actually met his eyes, (damn the girl had guts, Eren thought) and then handed one half to Connie who also looked over to meet Levi's eyes. Together they bit into their own halves and chewed slowly still looking at Levi. 

Levi had stopped, his face turning from rage to confusion and back to rage again, Eren watched him and waited hoping he wouldn't have to jump in to save the recruits. Levi's eyes were focused on the two, still eating, Sasha raising her bread to take another bite.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Levi threatened and started walking towards them. Eren could see Connie shaking but Sasha was staying strong and just bit in to the bread. 

"Eating, sir" Sasha called, spraying a bit of food on the ground, Levi was really pissed now, his face contorting into disgust.

"And what, Blouse, made you think it was ok for you to eat during training" Levi was close now his voice deep and angry.

"I was hungry, sir!" Sasha answered and then actually tore into the roll again, Connie was still eating his half too and looking over at the exchange between Sasha and Levi, shaking.

Levi got very close to Sasha and spoke in a low, dangerous voice "Do you remember when I told you to guard my husband?" Sasha swallowed her mouthful of food and nodded. "And how I said you'd run until the sun came up if you failed?" She nodded again losing some of the colour in her face. "I haven't followed up on that yet, have I?" She shook her head, Connie was very pale now but still munching on the bread.

"Well, you and Springer just bought yourself a little trip to hell" Levi glared over at Connie, who stared choking on his food a little.

"You'll run until you pass out and then get back up and keep running. Go!" They both startled, saluted and ran off. Levi, however, was not done yet, he was staring at the food Connie had dropped on the ground. "You know what? I'm done". Eren grinned when he heard the words, it had worked! It had almost been too easy.

"Everyone will run and keep running until I send someone out to supervise" Levi growled at the entire group "Thank your friends over there for that".

With one last disgusted look at the bread on the ground and an angry scowl set into his face, Levi stalked off the training grounds and towards the barracks. Eren jumped up knowing Levi had completely forgotten he was even there and sprinted over to Sasha and Connie and threw his arms around both. 

"Thanks! Don't worry about running, I'm sure he won't care in a few hours!" Eren said happily "Tell the others to enjoy the free time and that there's no supervision coming!"

Eren was beaming as he ran away to catch up to Levi.

And now onto phase 2...

 


	15. Give Me Love

Eren caught up to Levi as he entered the barracks and swiftly caught his hand and threaded their fingers together. He seemed to catch Levi off guard, as he spun around quickly to see who had dared tried to hold his hand while he was pissed. When Eren met his eyes Levi softened but only enough to allow the contact between their hands. 

"You ok?" Eren asked trying to keep the excitement from leaking into his voice.

"Those kids are fucking ridiculous!" Levi spat, Eren rubbed his thumb in circles over Levi's hand trying for comfort.

"That was insane!" Eren agreed trying to match Levi's anger but failing miserably "Who'd have been crazy enough to eat during your training!" Levi grunted his consent but still seemed to be consumed in fury.

"Are you going back? Or are they running forever?" Eren enquired.

"I'll have to go find someone to take over, I couldn't deal with the little fuckers anymore" Levi said fuming.

"Oh well I have you covered on that one" Eren said smiling "I ran into Hange on my way to you and she said she would do it".

"Doesn't she have her own duties this afternoon?" Levi asked surprised.

"Must have had a change of plans because she said she was free" Eren shrugged trying to sound nonchalant. He wasn't sure it was working.

But Levi either believed him or didn't care enough to double check because he was nodding and heading back to their rooms, Eren squeezed his hand and pulled him to a stop.

"Are you free now? Or do you have more work to do?" Eren tried for pleading and just hoped it would work. He knew that if they went back to their room, Levi would probably shut himself in his study and he wouldn't see him until lunch.

"I have some paperwork to go over" Levi said and then noticed the look in Eren's eyes "Why?"

"I thought maybe if you were free you could give me that tour you promised, Hange mentioned the library is pretty good" Eren said quietly imploring Levi to give in, he was staring at Levi and begging with his eyes. Levi huffed.

"Fine, I guess I can put the paperwork off for awhile" Levi huffed but Eren could tell his mood was lightening. It's good to know I have this effect, Eren thought smiling.

"Thankyou!" Eren beamed and rushed in to kiss Levi firmly on the lips. Levi's lips chased after him but Eren was not having any of that. Not yet at least.

"Come on" Eren said happily pulling away and tugging Levi behind him, he could hear the defeated sigh but it only made Eren's smile wider. Levi is so not as tough as he'd like to think he is, Eren thought, one sad look and he's done for.

"Shouldn't I be leading? Do you even know where we're going?" Levi asked making Eren stop dead in the middle of the hallway.

"Huh, you're right" Eren agreed and then pulled Levi forward so they were level and entwined their hands a little better, "lead on then".

Levi huffed again but stepped forward directing Eren towards the library. They walked slowly enjoying each others company and Eren giving Levi a chance to cool down a little, the library wasn't too far away about a 10 minute walk from the barracks, it was located on the edge of the base. The building looked like all the others, functional and dreary, but as they stepped inside Eren noticed the difference. It was warm and comfortable, lined with shelves and shelves of books. Eren noted that he would definitely need to come back here alone in order to have a better look around but for the moment he had a mission.

As Levi pulled him inside Eren turned quickly back to the door and flipped the lock silently without notifying Levi. Hange had said she would clear it out for him and as he looked around at the completely empty room he smiled, Hange was brilliant. They had figured that the library was the best spot for Eren to persuade Levi as they couldn't really go to far in a public place and plus, well, Eren had always wanted to fool around in a library. He just hoped Levi did as well.

Their hands were still connected and as soon as they walked over to the first row of shelving, Eren pounced. With one hand he pushed Levi's back into the books and closed the distance between their lips with urgency. Levi was startled at the sudden move but as soon as he felt Eren's soft lips on his he responded immediately. Eren had taken charge, he was intense and pushy and after only a few moments he was running his tongue over Levi's lips asking for entry. Levi just let him. He was consumed in the fire that was Eren and his lips and tongue and oh, god his hands where everywhere. How was he everywhere at once with only one good hand?! Levi thought. Levi hadn't believed Eren could be this demanding and this in charge but he was so incredibly wrong and fuck was it hot!

Levi was catching up and moving his hands, one found its way into Eren's hair and he held on trying to pull Eren closer. He needed Eren closer. His other hand was under Eren's shirt and feeling the tight muscle of his back. He tried to pull him in tighter but they were already chest to chest. And then Eren broke contact with his mouth, pulling back slightly to speak.

"Come to the military ball with me?" his voice was deep and scratchy, Levi was so distracted by the sound of it he didn't understand the question. When it finally made its way to his brain he stopped all movement to stare at Eren.

"How do you even know about that?" Levi grumbled, his hands had stopped moving but he hadn't let go, and then realization hit him "Fucking Hange".

Eren moved in again at the sound of annoyance in Levi's voice and kissed his way slowly down Levi's throat. Eren's soft lips pressing sweet, light kisses into his skin was too much and Levi couldn't contain the small sound of pleasure escaping his mouth.

"Please come with me?" Eren whispered, his hand moving slightly through Levi's soft hair and his lips on Levi's collarbone.

"No, Eren" Levi groaned but it didn't sound convincing, Eren smiled gently against Levi's throat.

"I want you to come with me" Eren breathed his mouth moving down a little and his hand moving towards the buttons on Levi's shirt. Levi had his eyes half closed.

"No, we are not going" Levi said trying to make his voice steady and completely failing. Eren stopped his slow progression down and raised his head to look into Levi's eyes, his hand was still poised over buttons but not moving.

"I'm going, Levi. I just want you to come with me" Eren murmured and Levi heard the certainty in his voice, Eren was going and there was to be no argument on that topic. 

"Why do you want to go?" Levi asked breathlessly "It's tedious and pointless plus everyone who is going we see every day". Levi had regained some control on himself and was trying to form a coherent argument for Eren. He was not going to go that event, no matter what Eren said or did. He was taking back control of this situation. And then Eren started undoing buttons and his argument was lost.

His cool fingers slid between buttonholes, popping each one open as he went and before Levi could speak again Eren's lips were back on his and his mind went back to fuzzy. Eren's tongue was sliding back into his mouth and all Levi could do was try to stop himself from moaning as he felt the sensation of Eren pressed all over him. There was only the heat of Eren's kiss and the tingling that followed his fingers as they slowly made there way down his chest, pulling his shirt open. When the last button came undone and his shirt fluttered open, Eren pulled back again and they both just breathed deeply.

"Levi" Eren began in a throaty voice, his palm pressed on Levi's chest "please come with me?"

"No. I won't waste a night there" Levi sighed hoarsely looking into the sparkling green eyes of his husband. Would it be a waste? Levi thought, spending a night with Eren might actually be nice. But then thoughts of his first time at that godforsaken ball ended that train of thought. It was an entire evening of being polite and sociable and Levi could not ever want to spend a night in that way. He'd prefer to be here doing paperwork than there.

Levi watched as Eren's face dropped but he saw the small sparkle of mischief stay in his eyes.

"Alright" Eren breathed out and Levi sighed in relief. Let it go, Levi begged, please let that be the end of it. "I guess I'll just have to find someone else to dance with".

Levi's eyes widened in shock and then he felt a wave of possessiveness rock through his body at the thought of someone else dancing with Eren. Eren's arms wrapped around someone else's body. Eren whispering endearing conversations in someone else's ear. No, that is not going to happen, Levi thought heatedly, I won't let it. Levi leaned up and with his hand still threaded in Eren's hair, he pulled him back into a kiss.

This time Levi took complete control, his lips were over Eren's, his tongue in his mouth and a growl threatening to pour out. Eren, a little taken back at the sudden ferocity, was now utterly melting into Levi's embrace. His hand was moving over Levi's chest, feeling the solid muscle and soft skin. Levi placed his hand on the centre of Eren's back and with his other hand firmly gripped in his hair he moved to spin them around quickly so that Eren's back thudded against the bookshelf. It was just the right amount of force to make Eren groan loudly and sink completely into Levi.

Levi pulled back for a moment to look at Eren's face, he was flushed and panting slightly, his lips red and swollen from kissing and his eyes bright and happy. No one else could have Eren like this, Levi thought suddenly, he's mine. He moved in again, their tongues pressing together and their breathing coming in sharp bursts. Eren's hand had found it's way lower and was now skimming dangerously along the edge of Levi's pants, he slowly shifted his hand further down, a small amount of fabric the only barrier between Eren's hand and his skin. Before Eren could do more Levi broke off their fervent kiss and spoke in a low husky voice "Stay with me instead" he pressed a kiss to Eren's jaw "we don't have to leave our room" another kiss on his throat, he felt Eren gulp "we don't even need to get dressed" Levi finished with a lingering kiss to Eren's collarbone.

Eren whimpered at the idea, it did sound a lot better than going out. He could have Levi to himself all night, Eren thought, no one else but them. No! Eren tried to regain his thoughts, he would get Levi to come with him. He needed to socialize. Meet people. Dance with Levi in public. Formal military uniform. Networking. He repeated the phrases over in his head until he was sure he could convince Levi. And if not convince then he'd resort to blackmail. 

Levi watched as Eren processed his words but wasn't seeing him give in, Eren seemed just the same as before if a little bit distressed. Apparently a lot more effort would have to go into making Eren stay with him here.

Eren spoke then his voice coming out as a hoarse whisper "I'm attending the ball, Levi. I need to get out and socialize. Meet important people and become accepted here in Trost". Eren's eyes were locked on his and he was blushing as he spoke next "I desperately want you there by my side, you make everything easier and I feel safer when I'm with you. Please come with me?" Eren's voice was so quiet Levi wouldn't have heard him if they hadn't been pressed so close together. Fuck, Eren was good.

"You sure you wouldn't rather stay here with me?" Levi huffed and Eren shook his head lightly. Fuck, he could feel himself already giving in. "So no staying in bed? No alone time?No clothes optional rule?" Levi said and Eren hesitated caught on the no clothes option but eventually he shook his again.

Levi breathed out a deep sigh and rested his head against Eren's shoulder "Fine. I'll go".

"Really?!" Eren exclaimed and Levi could feel the excited energy burning through him, Levi even cracked a small smile at how happy his decision made Eren.

"Yeah, brat. I'll-" before Levi could finish he was cut off by another kiss and Eren was smiling widely as he placed small kisses over Levi's face making his way towards his ear. Levi felt Eren's breath tickling the side of his face before he felt teeth lightly bite down on the edge of his ear. Levi couldn't help the small groan that escaped at that feeling and then Eren whispered faintly into his ear "We can definitely come home early and initiate that no clothes rule".

Levi wasn't sure whether it was the 'no clothes' part or how Eren referred to Levi's quarters as 'home' or if was simply a combination of both but he felt electricity and heat run through him at the words. His lips found Eren's instantly and he kissed him passionately, his hands were moving down over his chest and hips to grab onto Eren's thighs. He rubbed his palm against Eren's pants eliciting a small groan from the brunette and then in one fluid movement he had clutched the underside of Eren's legs and lifted him up swiftly pushing his back firmly against the shelves. Eren squeaked at the movement but recovered instantly, wrapping his legs around Levi's waist and moving his good hand back to card through Levi's hair, his broken wrist lay unmoving over the back of Levi's neck.

The new position had Levi breathing sharply and he could feel Eren's length against him "Fuck, Eren" he breathed out between deep kisses. He moved his mouth away to let Eren catch his breath and concentrated on his throat. His beautiful, sun-kissed skin and rapid heartbeat were all Levi could focus on, he kissed his way down, stopping and sucking on particular spots. He heard Eren groan deeply and felt his head fall back against the shelf, leaving his entire throat exposed. Levi traced over a particular spot with his tongue and listened closely as Eren's breathing hitched each time he nipped at the skin.

It was fucking addictive. He would kiss or lick or nip at Eren's neck and listen to the sounds coming from the brunettes mouth. Eren was open and wanting and Levi was only falling deeper and deeper into his attraction for Eren, every sound sent a current through his body and he felt himself hardening. He was surrounded by Eren and Eren had entirely melted into Levi.

Levi felt Eren's hand move from his hair and down his chest to rest against the button on Levi's pants, Eren looked over at Levi his face flushed and asked quietly "Is this ok?" Levi only nodded as Eren undid the button quickly and slid his hand into his pants. Levi choked at the sudden feeling of Eren's hand on him and he dropped his head onto Eren's chest to focus on breathing. He was coming to understand just how eager and insistent Eren could be and how much they both wanted to be close to each other right now. Levi couldn't help but think it was fast, that they had only just started to get to know each other, wonder if Eren was doing this for the right reasons? And at that thought Levi froze. He put Eren down gently and moved his hand to cover Eren's wrist, Eren's hand still touching Levi.

"Is this ok for you?" Levi breathed meeting Eren's confused eyes "Just tell me you're doing this because you want too". Eren's confusion turned to understanding and he leaned in and pressed a firm kiss on Levi's lips.

"I promise no one is forcing me to do this" Eren said "I'm here because I want to be. No amount of pressure from my father or Commander Smith could make me do this if I didn't want to".

Levi breathed out a sigh of relief but Eren wasn't done "I like you Levi and honestly I've been thinking about being with you since I met you" Eren let out a huff of laughter "You and your stupidly beautiful face have been almost all I've been thinking about".

Levi was stunned by the comment but leaned in to kiss Eren firmly "Me too, Eren. I'm finding it harder and harder to concentrate when you're around". 

"I've noticed" Eren laughed and moved his had down a little further. Levi groaned at the sudden movement but Eren didn't stop, his broken wrist still hooked around Levi's neck he used his good hand to wrap gently around Levi's cock. Levi moaned at the feeling, his entire body on fire just at the touch and then Eren began to work his hand up and down slowly. 

Eren leaned in and bit Levi's ear lightly again "You want to take these pants off?" he breathed suggestively.

Levi was in over his head, never had anyone made him feel like this. Eren was so bright and compelling and Levi was falling so fucking hard for him.

He moved his hands to his own pants and began to tug them down quickly, they rested just over his thighs with his ass still mostly covered but his now hard cock was free and he could see Eren's hand on him. The sight was enough to send a deep throb through him and he breathed in deeply trying to gain some control. He would not come in his pants like a horny teenager. Eren however seemed to have other ideas.

His pace was increasing and each stroke sent another wave of pleasure through Levi's body, he was unravelling before Eren and his fractured brain couldn't seem to find the will to care. He rested his head against Eren's shoulder and was breathing in shallow gasps of air. "Fu-uck" he cried as Eren went faster pumping up and down his shaft. He could feel himself getting closer the faster Eren went and then suddenly Eren's fingers were massaging his tip, rubbing in gentle circles around and around, Levi's head was full to bursting from the want. He had never had anything where he felt this turned on, he entire body was on edge and he was moaning into Eren's shoulder when Eren's hand moved back up and down his length and then finally to cup his balls and apply a small amount of pressure. His brain shut off completely and his release shattered through him in waves. 

It took him a moment to steady his breathing and open his eyes. The first thing he saw was Eren's beautiful smile and Levi's lips turned up, joy running through him at the thought that this young man was all his and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "Fuck, Eren" Levi whispered and Eren's smile widened.

"You did say that a few times" Eren smirked and leaned in to kiss Levi again, Levi pressed his lips against Eren's and moved his hands down to Eren's pants. Eren breathed out a sigh of want but placed his hands over Levi's. Levi looked at him confused but Eren smiled.

"As much as I want to right now I have to let you in on a little secret" Eren said his face flushing "Hange said she was only going to clear the library for an hour and..." Eren twisted around to look at the clock "unfortunately we don't have time".

"Fuck that" Levi growled and moved in to kiss Eren fiercely. Eren couldn't help but kiss him back but they were interrupted by a screech as someone tried to open the locked door. They pulled apart to stare at the door Levi in fury and Eren in defeat.

"We'll just go upstairs" Levi said hastily and pulled Eren forward.

Eren blushed and squeezed Levi's hand "we should probably clean that up first" he said motioning to the mess they had made on the floor. Levi let go of his hand and went to work, quickly tidying up and thoroughly cleaning the space they had used. They quickly fixed up their clothes and then Levi had attached his hand back to Eren's and pulled him out of the library, past a very confused and freaked out woman and towards their rooms.

They would have made it as well if Erwin hadn't been waiting for them by the stairs with a curious look on his face.

"I tried to find you at training a half hour ago, I needed to speak with both of you"  Erwin commented with an eyebrow raised.

Eren blushed but Levi took the moment to check the time and holy fuck they'd been gone for an hour. It was almost lunch time.

"I left and Hange took over" Levi said stiffly.

"Apparently not" Erwin said and then he took in their tousled clothes and messy hair, Eren could only blushed deeper. "I'll reschedule for 1:00 please be there this time, Petra has organised to take over your training this afternoon" Erwin said firmly. Eren nodded but Levi didn't say anything his hand still tight in Eren's and his intentions clear. Bedroom. Now.

Levi had his foot on the first step when he heard Eren's stomach grumble loudly.

"Fuck. Alright come on, food first" Levi said and then pulled Eren toward the mess hall. Now that he had a moment to think, Eren realised just how hungry he was, he had skipped breakfast after all. Levi seemed pretty irritated at not being able to repay Eren so before they stepped into the noisy hall Eren pulled him aside.

"I'm fine, Levi" Eren said kissing Levi lightly "I'm happy, I really just wanted to thank you for agreeing to come with me to the Military Ball" Levi groaned remembering what he had promised in the heat of the moment but he still desperately wanted to be with Eren and to see him to his own release. Eren seemed to understand because he leant forward and muttered excitedly into Levi's ear "Like you said we have our own rooms and can definitely christen that no clothes policy tonight".

And with that Eren pulled Levi forward and into the mess hall, they got plates and piled them high and went to find seats. Hange was waiting impatiently for them and when she noticed they were there she stood up and called out "Levi! Eren!" Eren smiled and Levi huffed but they headed towards Hange anyway. She was looking over them with pure delight on her face and evil intentions in her eyes.

"You boys have fun?" she winked, Eren's face flushed knowing that Hange knew exactly what they'd been doing but was excited to tell her the plan had worked well. Too well really.

"Levi agreed to come to the ball" Eren said sharing a knowing look with Hange.

"Really?" Hange gasped in mock surprise "Just how did you manage that, Eren?"

Eren shrugged, blushed a little and said "Natural talent and a very convincing argument". That made Levi snort in surprise into his food and Eren and Hange burst out laughing.

"You two" Levi said indignantly, staring at them "you had this whole thing planned. I knew it wasn't a good idea for you two to talk".

Eren laughed a little knowing they'd been caught out. Worth it, Eren thought remembering Levi's face as they kissed.

"Fine, when is this thing" Levi muttered unhappily.

"About 2 weeks" Eren said leaning over to kiss Levi on the cheek. Hange then let a bark of laughter.

"You might want  to cover those up" she cackled pointing to the bruise on Eren's neck which he immediately clamped a hand over.

"No, Levi, you didn't?" Eren gasped trying to keep the hickeys covered. Levi snorted and pecked Eren on the cheek.

"Payback" Levi whispered brightly in his ear.


	16. Dirty Little Secret

So phase 3 was going to be the hardest part, Eren thought as he climbed into bed tiredly that night. Levi was in a meeting with the Special Operations Squad so Eren had gone back to their rooms alone after dinner. It was a good thing Hange was in on this plan and trying to keep him on track because he would have caved to Levi the moment they were alone. But Hange had organised Levi's squad to hold him up for a few hours after dinner so that Eren could escape and go to bed. They figured Levi wouldn't bail on his promise to attend the ball but Eren had to make sure and that was going to involve a lot of dodging, a lot of pretending to sleep and probably a lot of irritation on both sides.

He wanted their first time together to be memorable and he figured that giving Levi a taste and then holding out on him for two weeks would definitely build up the tension enough. Eren planned to hold off until after the ball, wanting to tease Levi a little and also keep him bound to his promise, if Levi realized what he would receive for attending the event then Eren hoped there would be fewer complaints about going. He just hoped they could last that long and actually make it out of the door.

What Eren hadn't planned for was how crazy _he_ was going to go not being able to give into temptation. It was irrational how much he needed to touch Levi and be touched by him, the small amount that had happened this morning was nowhere near enough for him and Eren found himself torn between calling off the whole plan and just staying wrapped up in Levi as much as possible and following it through to make the experience all the better for waiting.

They had both been on edge the rest of the day and the excessive meeting with Erwin had not helped. He had called them into his office where they had stayed and talked for hours. Now Eren was here and had expressed an interest in being part of official meetings Erwin thought it best to go through everything with him. Eren had only previously had a basic knowledge on Trost but after their meeting he was fully briefed on customs, traditions, military position, policies and any other information Erwin had deemed relevant. It had been a long process and if both of them hadn't been so antsy and anxious to be alone than Eren would have found it all pretty interesting but as it was his leg was jumping from the tension and his brain was trying to convince him to just give in and let Levi ravage him, and then his thoughts would go in a very inappropriate direction and he'd have to snap himself out of it before his body reacted.

They had made it through the meeting intact and Eren's resolve firming itself against Levi again. He had to keep reminding himself of his goal whenever he felt Levi rub against his side, think of how amazing it would be after denying themselves for two weeks when Levi twined his fingers through Eren's on their way to dinner and how he had to get Levi to that ball no matter what when Levi's hand start rubbing against his thigh under the table at dinner. Could he even make it through the next few hours? he had thought.

The decision had been made for him when Hange distracted Levi with his Squad and Eren moved away quickly to run to their rooms and at long last he fell into bed exhausted and just let sleep wash over him, he didn't even wake up when Levi returned a few hours later and fell in bed next to him just as tired.

Eren miraculously woke up earlier than Levi the next morning, noting that Levi was actually sleeping through the whole night recently, and jumped out of bed to start the day before Levi could get to him in his incoherent sleepy state. They had to rush again to get down for breakfast and Levi had only managed to get a few quick pecks in before he was turning away towards the recruits. Eren had brought his book with him today and so between reading he watched as Levi was entirely focused on his training. When training was over Levi was held up by Eld and Gunther who had come to speak with him (no doubt by Hange's hand), so Eren went ahead knowing that Levi would probably miss lunch altogether now.

The recruits had already left as Eren wandered off the grounds and walked into the mess hall, he was hoping Hange was in there so he would have someone to talk too but after he grabbed his food and started looking around a voice called out his name.

"Eren!" a male voice called from his far left, Eren spun around, interested as to who was actually talking to him and was met by Connie's frantic waving. When Connie realised he had Eren's attention he made a gesture for him to come over, not having anywhere else to go and being pretty curious, Eren walked towards Connie. He looked over and noticed that Connie was surrounded by 6 people all looking nervous but very intrigued. He reached the table and sat in the empty chair beside Connie, put his food down and then raised his head to get a good look at the group but before he could ask Connie was talking.

"So... Eren-" Connie began but Sasha's voice interrupted from the end of the table.

"Did your plan work?" she asked excitedly, bouncing a little in her chair and then it hit Eren, he had promised to fill Connie and Sasha in on the details of his plan as a thankyou for almost dying. Fuck! This wasn't good. Sasha had spoken but everyone was looking at him with interest, apparently they all wanted to know. A deep blush was setting into his face at the memory of yesterday and the idea that he had promised to tell these people about it, he didn't even know most of their fucking names!

A kind voice spoke from across him and he looked up to meet warm brown eyes on a face full of freckles "Calm down, Sasha, I'm sure he wasn't expecting all of us. I mean he doesn't even know who  _we_ are".

Sasha's eyes widened but she smiled happily "Oh, that's easily fixed then. Eren, this is Marco" she said pointing to the freckled boy "trust me, you already like him. He's so kind and thoughtful you can't not like Marco". Marco blushed while she pointed to the girl next to him, she was tall with brown hair and eyes and a bored expression on her face "That's Ymir. You probably won't like her, she's difficult at best and has a complete shit personality" Sasha giggled as a piece of food was thrown at her head by a mildly offended Ymir.

"The big blonde one is Reiner and the tall brunette is Bertolt, they grew up together and are really close, they're pretty cool" Sasha commented and Reiner waved a hand in hello while Bertolt simply nodded at Eren. "And the blonde girl is Annie. She's, uh, really good at training" Sasha finished lamely and Eren could tell she was scared to insult the girl with expressionless eyes.

"And of course you already know me and Connie! Everyone this is Eren" Sasha exclaimed and then glued her eyes back on Eren "so tell us about this plan! We've been arguing over what it is for that last 24 hours!"

Eren's foot was tapping on the ground nervously. Why did he have to tell them he'd explain? He didn't want them to know about his fucking sex life! He especially didn't want them thinking about Levi in that way! God, he was so screwed (and not in the good way). He could feel his face flushing to a next level red, he was anxiously chewing on his lip and frantically looking around hoping to see Levi or Hange or really anyone that could get him out of this mess.

"Come on, Sasha, can't you see he doesn't want to talk" Marco said his eyes flicking from Sasha and back to Eren. God bless you Marco, was all Eren could think.

"Aww, but he promised Marco!" Sasha whined.

"We almost got killed for this information" Connie agreed.

Eren looked at the two who had helped so much, he did kind of owe them. Eren sighed and started talking "Thanks, Marco, it's cool I do owe them an explanation".

"Yes!" Sasha and Connie yelled at the same time, Connie even pumped a fist in the air. Eren relaxed a little at their enthusiasm, he had everyone's attention, he could tell even Annie was listening although she wasn't looking at him.

"So you all know my father is the King of Maria?" Eren started, he looked around and saw nods and an actual eyeroll (thanks Ymir) "well, being married in a peace alliance to Levi comes with certain expectation from both my King and my country. I am expected to integrate into Trost socially and politically in order to fulfil the conditions of our alliance, it's important that I become a respected and influential person here in Trost". Eren looked around to make sure everyone was following, they were but they looked confused as to where he was going.

"So in order to do that I have to attend events like the Military Ball" there were nods from everyone as they began to understand "I don't know many people and I really wanted to Levi there with me".

Sasha however, spoke up "What was the plan about then? Couldn't you just ask Captain Levi to go, I'm sure he would have understood".

Eren smiled at Sasha "Levi really hates that event, or well, any social event. I knew it was going to either take a lot of talking and complaining to get him to go _or_ we get a little devious on him" he saw Reiner and Bertolt exchange a knowing look as continued "plus being a little creative was definitely more fun" he smiled while memories of Levi lifting him up and pushing him into the shelf replayed itself over and over in his head.

"Oh god, please don't tell me we were accomplices in helping you _seduce_ Captain Levi?" Connie groaned horrified. Eren blushed even deeper.

"Oh yes! Please tell me we _were_ accomplices in helping you seduce Captain Levi!" Sasha yelled so excited she was jumping out of her chair.

"I really don't want to know anything about my superior officers' private life" Marco pleaded.

"I'm so glad you've come into our lives!" Ymir said extending her hand to cover Eren's and gracing him with a wide cheeky smile.

"Details" Reiner said firmly "we all need details now".

This was actually kind of fun, Eren thought. Everyone seated at the table were staring at him engrossed in his story, they were interested in his life and no one was actually treating him differently, it was like he were a friend.

"Well after you guys pissed him off, thankyou for that by the way, you did a really impressive job" Eren said to Connie and Sasha and they grinned at their success "I made him take me on a tour of the base, I haven't seen anything of this place yet, well actually I still haven't" Eren said thoughtfully. There were a few snorts of laughter after that confirmation and Eren proved that yes, he could actually blush deeper. "So, I knew that if Levi left he'd go back to work and it would be really hard to get his attention while he was doing paperwork".

He heard Ymir snort while giving him an intense one over with her eyes "Not that hard I expect".

"Anyway, I convinced him to show me the library because Hange said it was usually pretty empty and that she was going to distract the librarian and clear it out for me" Everyone was enraptured, Marco looked a little stunned at all the unwanted information he was getting on his Captain, Ymir was disturbingly fascinated, Connie had a mix of horror and delight playing over his face while everyone else just looked excited (minus Annie who still wasn't looking at Eren).

"We got to the library and it was empty so I may have locked the door and then well..." Eren trailed off, he couldn't look at any of them. 

There was only a moment of silence before Sasha exploded "And then what!" He couldn't do it, he couldn't meet their eyes but that was ok because apparently everyone else was going to take over.

"They fucked in the library, Sasha" Reiner said in an awed voice.

"Oh gross, they banged where I borrow books" Bertolt whispered a mix of horror and admiration.

"Captain Levi had sex in the library" Marco groaned in dread his head falling on to the table defeated.

"You got Captain Levi to sleep with you in a _public_ library" Connie gasped.

"Wow I wish I got to fuck someone in the library" Ymir whispered impressed. Eren couldn't speak, what the fuck was he meant to say? Plus he didn't want to actually disappoint them by saying that their really had been very little fucking going on and the fact that denying it would mean he'd have to go into more detail.

"Wait, wait, wait" Sasha called out grabbing everyone at there tables attention "we don't know there was actual, you know what, going on! What if he said no to the ball? What did he say, Eren?" That made everyone whip around to look at him again so he pulled in a deep breath and met their eyes.

"He said yes" Eren said. Whoops and catcalls were let out making Eren actually smile, he was still overcome with embarrassment but the young recruits were so enthusiastic and loud it made him happy to be sitting there with them, he could even see a small smile tugging on Annie's lips.

They were getting attention from all of the other people in the mess hall now who were staring at Eren and the recruits in interest, Ymir had to actually tug Sasha down so she would sit in her seat again. They were all talking excitedly and rather crudely about what Eren and Levi had gotten up to while in the Library, Marco still had his head on the table and would groan in horror everytime he heard something particularly crass. Eren was actually laughing now, he was still blushing at what was being said but it had been a long time since people hadn't been careful with him. Everyone from home treated him like he was breakable, even Mika and Armin, but now he had a table full of people joking around with him and with each other. It was really nice.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you guys more time off yesterday" Eren apologized.

Connie waved him off "You got us out of running until we passed out, that's plenty".

"To be fair he did get you into that whole mess" Ymir pointed out grinning.

"True" Connie nodded "but we did get a whole hour off from Levi's training which I don't think has ever happened before".

Ymir nodded in agreement "Plus I think someone tipped Petra off to this whole plan because she was really nice to us in the afternoon, we got to spend the whole time mock fighting and she and some of Levi's squad showed us some really cool techniques".

"Yeah, it was actually a really fun afternoon" Reiner agreed with nods from everyone at the table.

"That was probably Hange" Eren said happy they weren't disappointed "she has ways I don't even want to know about".

"That woman is not normal" Ymir said shaking her head.

"Remember when she tried to get us all to agree to human testing for this weird experiment she was running?" Connie said loudly.

"Yeah, man, now  _that_ was an interesting day!" Reiner laughed and everyone joined in now sharing their own crazy Hange stories. He felt Marco tap his hand and he turned to face him.

"Hey, Eren, I was wondering why they married you to Captain Levi? I mean he's not royalty, aren't you meant to marry into a royal family?" Marco asked Eren quietly rejoining the conversation and also trying desperately to avoid further conversations about the depraved things his Captain apparently did to Eren in a public library.

"I was wondering about that as well" Bertolt said "I know it's an alliance for peace but surely they wouldn't have married off their Prince to a _soldier_ , even a high ranking one like Captain Levi".

"Oh, there are a few reasons actually" Eren answered and smiled at them "there is no royal family in Trost and as a military concentrated country you're high ranking officers and leaders _are_ equal to Kings and Queens, or at least equivalent to royalty".

He saw the nods from Marco and Bertolt, everyone else had quietened down and were listening now as well "Both countries needed this alliance desperately and honestly it would have been insulting for my father to offer anyone but one of his children and as my older sister will inherit the Marian throne I was the only option. Levi was chosen because he is the equivalent of a Marian Prince plus he's a recognized war hero and named as Trost's strongest soldier, which really means he's humanity's strongest because let's face it Trost has the highest calibre of soldiers".

"So you were the only option but what about Captain Levi? Why him?" Marco asked.

"I'm not sure entirely as I was not informed on all the decisions but as far as I know he was the only valid option that wouldn't insult my father. He is well-known in Maria and very influential within Trost, plus he was unattached and relatively close to my own age" Eren said and then laughed as a memory came to him "I do remember one of my fathers advisor's mentioning something about how Commander Erwin was an option as well".

That information made jaws drop and eyes widen.

"You could have been married to the Commander?" Connie whispered in shock.

"Yeah but apparently questions were raised about the age difference and our side wanted someone younger so that the marriage might have more of a chance rather than it being purely political" Eren answered, forever grateful that they had turned down the idea of Erwin in favour of Levi.

"Definitely!" Sasha exclaimed "The Commander would have to be like 30 years older than you while Captain Levi's only like... actually I really have no idea how old he is" she finished confused.

Ymir smacked her lightly on the shoulder "Try again, Sash, Commander Erwin would only just be 40 and Captain Levi... yeah, you know I have no idea either" she turned questioningly to Eren.

"Yeah, so Erwin's 42 and Levi's 27" Eren resolved.

"27? How can he only be 27? He's a god! How can he be so good while so fucking young?!" Reiner raged but it was more admiration than anger.

Eren shrugged and didn't answer, he knew that Levi's childhood was not up for discussion with anyone. It had been information for Eren alone.

"Wow, he just got a hell of a lot hotter" Sasha commented dazed.

"Ugh, don't call Captain Levi hot!" Connie howled at her.

Sasha just shrugged, pointed at Eren and answered "Blame him, ever since he called him hot I started to notice".

"Oh god, please don't think my husband's hot" Eren groaned in horror at the young girl.

She raised an eyebrow "Why not? I know you think he's hot, don't you?"

"Yeah I do. But I really don't want _you_ too!" Eren grumbled not liking the idea of anyone looking at Levi in that way. He's mine, Eren thought suddenly.

"You can't blame her, the man is pretty hot" Reiner agreed and everyone bust out laughing at the comment. Eren just looked a little closer at him and Bertolt. Were they together?

After a few more minutes of pointless conversation it was the end of lunch and everyone was packing up their trays and getting ready to leave when Marco called out "You should sit with us again, Eren, it's nice having you here".

Eren was floored. They liked him? They wanted him to sit with them again because they liked him?

There were a lot of nods and Ymir even said "Of course he's sitting with us again, he hasn't had this much fun in a long time" then she smiled evilly "scratch that he had a lot more fun yesterday in the library!" Eren blushed again while everyone giggled and Reiner smacked him happily on the shoulder.

Before they left Marco looked at Eren and said seriously "Trust us, we won't tell Captain Levi we know anything".

"We're not fucking suicidal" Ymir said and smiled again. They all waved him goodbye and Eren was left alone but feeling very content knowing he may have just made a whole new group of friends. Very loud and obnoxious friends but they made him happy. 

 

***

 

His new group of friends were turning out to be very effective in both dodging Levi, and Eren's need to be with him. He spent the next two weeks rushing through the morning and eating breakfast quickly, reading while Levi trained, eating lunch with his new friends and then either coming with Levi to meetings, reading alone in his room or watching Levi training, himself and the recruits. Night time was the trickiest.

There had been a few close calls where he had been a little too enthusiastic in kissing Levi and Levi had tried to go further but Eren always had to break away and pretend to need the bathroom. Levi always looked a little confused but would stop immediately if Eren asked. Just wait for it Levi, Eren would think, we're getting there I promise. It was getting embarrassing not to mention completely frustrating yet he was still fully committed to the idea of waiting until after the ball. He hadn't had a choice on who he married or where he lived but this he could choose and he was committed to that choice.

He tried to turn his thoughts away from Levi and so they eventually went to long term. Was this his life now? Was this all he was going to do for the next 50 plus years? Hover around a military base and follow his husband around? He really didn't like that idea so he spent the time trying to make some decisions and find some choices to make his life a little more meaningful. Everyone around him was dedicated and driven to their life as a soldier, they had all chosen to be here but Eren hadn't. He didn't mind so much now and he knew he couldn't imagine his life without Levi in it anymore but he wanted a purpose, something he could be driven for. At this point he wasn't even allowed to leave the base. As the two weeks plodded along he couldn't make any ground and just hoped that he would meet interesting people at the military ball who could give him some good ideas.

And finally after two excruciatingly long weeks the day arrived. Tonight was the ball. Tonight Eren could finally give and he couldn't fucking wait.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! So military ball next chapter! I know some of you are wondering why Historia and Jean aren't there but trust me I have a plan worked out for them.  
> I am floored by the feedback I've been getting so just thankyou!!!


	17. Can't Fight This Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: So, the recruits don't go to the military ball until they graduate :P

The past two weeks had been pure torture for Levi. He hadn't been able to touch Eren at all even after the brunette had initiated their episode in the library. The frustration was driving him insane, Eren kept dodging him or he was already asleep when he returned and when he did manage to sneak a kiss Eren would bail and run to the bathroom. Something was definitely going on with Eren, it was strange for him to be distracted and jumpy, he was spending an awful lot of time with that group of recruits as well. Not that he minded at all that Eren was making friends, in fact he was really happy about it but he missed Eren being around all the time and he was so confused as to what was actually happening.

For two weeks he had been run ragged, emergency meetings and being held back after training, two weeks of Hange finding him everywhere he went just to suck him into a conversation about what he had no clue. Finally, the day of the military ball arrived and he was actually fucking excited. It was a way for him to spend some time with Eren and maybe discuss what had been going on in the brunettes head for the past two weeks. Had he done something wrong? Everyone had a half day so they could all get ready and get to the event on time, so after he spent lunch watching Eren sitting with his new friends and laughing at something a blonde guy said, he stalked back to their rooms and started on some paperwork that needed to be finished. There was really no need for him to be ready early, the carriages would leave base at about 5:30 and it would only take about 20 minutes for them to get there when the event starts at 6. He would need maybe half an hour to get dressed.

At about 4:30 he heard Eren enter their rooms and from his spot in the study he listened as Eren started locating clothes and getting dressed, when he heard him enter the bathroom and close the door Levi figured that was his cue to start getting ready as well. He would be expected to wear his formal military uniform as tonight was the biggest and most formal event of the year for Trost, while he dressed his thoughts started to wander to Eren, he actually had no clue what his husband would wear. He wasn't a soldier so he didn't have a uniform but he would still be expected to dress up. Eren had spent all of his time so far dressed in slacks and nice shirts, they were comfortable options for days on a military base but he had only seen him dressed formally at their wedding and he had been so stunning there was no way he could look better than that.

Levi was so fucking wrong. When Eren stepped out of the bathroom it took all of Levi's strength not to jump him on sight. 

He had tight tan pants and knee length lace up black boots similar to those he wore on their wedding day but his vest and cravat were forest green to match his eyes and his dark navy jacket was perfectly tailored around his body and complimented his crisp white shirt. He looked stunning, his hair combed but pieces falling messily over his eyes anyway and his legs just looked miles longs. Levi couldn't speak he just stared at the god who had stepped out of the bathroom.

"Is this ok? I wasn't sure how formal to go" Eren asked shyly.

Levi sputtered at first but eventually found his voice "Yeah, yes. You look perfect". A blush danced over Eren's cheeks at the compliment. Too perfect, Levi thought, he was going to draw everyone's attention and he knew that people were going to try and talk with him all night and Levi would never have a moment alone with him.

"On second thought you should change" Levi said firmly.

"What? Why?" Eren panicked looking over his outfit trying to figure out what was wrong.

"I just really don't want to fight off everyone that hits on you tonight" Levi said his eyes still raking over the handsome brunette.

Eren smiled and stepped forward his own eyes taking in Levi "Me? What about you? I'm going to have to start crash tackling people in the middle of this ball just to get them away from you". Eren's eyes were full of lust and Levi was confused again, Eren was acting strangely, one minute he would be giving every indication that he wanted Levi and the next he would be metres away spacing out.

"Eren, are you ok? You've been acting strange since the library" Levi asked not really one for running away from a problem. Eren bit his lip and nodded.

"I'm ok, Levi, I promise. We have to get going but I promise I'll explain everything later" Eren said nervously but he could tell he was being honest. What the hell was going on in Eren's head?

"Alright" Levi said and they both walked to the door but just as Eren opened it Levi grabbed his arm "Promise me, you'll at least save me one dance tonight?" Levi's voice was quiet and serious and he looked up to meet Eren's eyes but Eren was already leaning down to kiss him softly.

"If it were up to me I'd probably only dance with you tonight" Eren answered quietly, blushing softly at the confession. Levi raised himself up to kiss Eren fiercely, he'd missed the contact, two weeks with very little and he was desperate for it. The desperation seemed to be controlling his mouth at the moment as well.

"I remember you mentioning something about coming home early and-" Levi started his voice low and sultry.

"The no clothes policy" Eren interrupted his eyes alight, Levi nodded and Eren continued "I fully intend to follow that one through". Eren kissed him again and it became heated and a little too aggressive. Eren had to break it off because when Levi finally had Eren's lips on his he didn't want to let them go.

"We have to go" Eren whispered breathlessly and entwined his hand in Levi's pulling them out of their room. Levi grumbled all the way to the foyer where everyone attending was gathered, he didn't want to be here, he just wanted Eren in their bed, preferably naked. 

"Oh wow! You two look so handsome!" Hange called out coming over to them, she was dressed in a silvery grey dress, a tight lace bodice that fell into a thin flowing skirt, she wore pearl earrings and her hair in a loose bun instead of the usual messy ponytail [<Hange's Dress>](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/552746554244229439/). She actually cleaned up pretty nice but no amount of nice clothes could rid her eyes of that evil gelam, she hugged Eren and whispered something in his ear making him blush and then she turned to Levi. "You two are going to cause a riot, the Prince of Maria and the reclusive Captain Levi looking this good? People are going to fall over themselves to talk to you".

"Great" Levi grunted his thoughts going upstairs to where he could have stayed in bed with Eren but no, he was here, with Hange.

"It'll be fine, Levi" Eren said quietly turning to him and then his voice lowered so only Levi could hear "I promise I'll save you if anyone gets too handsy".

Levi gulped and looked back at Eren getting lost in his husbands face and eyes, his thoughts concentrating on after this god damn ball, if he played his cards right he could very well be in for an incredible night. He heard Hange clear her throat and he looked over with a scowl "What the fuck do you want?"

"Just thought maybe you two lovebirds might want to actually get in a carriage?" She laughed and pushed them towards the line up leaving the base, Eren tugged on Levi's hand and together they walked over to an empty carriage and climbed inside. Levi was about to shut the door and try and make the most of his 20 minutes alone with Eren when Hange burst in and sat opposite them. Levi glared at her.

"Get the fuck out, shitty glasses" Levi hissed.

"Sorry, grumpy but this is the last one plus I can't have you two showing up all, uh, dishevelled" Hange grinned guessing exactly what Levi had planned.

"Fuck you" Levi grunted but he wasn't all that angry, it was probably for the best they weren't alone, for some reason Eren was very running hot again and it was like the last two weeks hadn't happened. Ever since Eren had stepped out of the bathroom he had been exuding desire and Levi could feel the tension between them. He knew that if Hange weren't there he would definitely have attacked Eren, he needed to feel him again after so long and it was way to much pressure to sit beside him and not be able to do anything.

Eren seemed to be feeling the same as he leaned over and whispered in Levi's ear "Tonight's going to be fun".

Levi rolled his eyes "You obviously haven't been to too many of these things if you can still call them  _fun_?" 

Eren grinned and whispered "I'm not talking about the ball". That left Levi stunned while Eren just relaxed in his seat and watched the emotions play over Levi's face. Eren had a satisfied expression on his face as he started up a casual conversation with Hange but Levi couldn't hear them, he was spiralling into thoughts and fantasies each one better than the last. What the fuck were Eren's intentions tonight?"

Before he could ask, the carriage stopped and someone opened the door for them. Hange jumped out first and then Levi stepped out, when he was firmly on the ground he turned around and held out a hand to Eren, who smiled and took it, gracefully stepping down. Levi offered his arm to Eren and he wound his bad arm through the crook of Levi's elbow. Levi started to notice the nerves coming off Eren and when he looked over, Eren was biting his lip and his eyes were darting all over the place.

"You're fine, Eren" Levi whispered to him, Eren jumped and looked over.

"I've been to so many events like this but there are so many people I don't know here" Eren muttered anxiously "what if they hate me? What if I mess up? What if-"

But Levi had stopped him with a firm kiss, regardless of all the people around them currently flooding into the huge building "you've got this, Eren. You're a natural, you've spent you're whole life in this situation. And I promise I'm here if you need any help or a an escape plan".

Eren smiled, he was still nervous but apparently Levi had managed to take the edge off because they started walking forwards again. The building they were now heading inside was enormous. It was white stone and open spaces, there was a large beautiful garden attached to the back and the inside glittered with lights and jewels. Levi was watching Eren's face as they entered and smiled at the look of awe, Eren's eyes were wide and his smile growing the more he took in.

"It's beautiful, Levi" Eren sighed still staring at the ballroom, Levi tore his eyes from Eren's and looked around himself. They had just descended one of two spiral staircases which both led onto the main floor, waiters were floating around with glasses of champagne and wines, music was filling every corner of the room. It was like they had stepped into another world completely and for a moment Levi was glad that Eren had made him attend.

That moment was shattered when an older woman with greying hair and an incredulous expression walked over to them and Levi had to try very hard not to roll his eyes. And so it begins.

"Captain Levi, it's very rare to see you out in public, we didn't expect you here tonight" she said pleasantly.

"Lady Tenner, its lovely to see you" Levi said stiffly but very polite, he bowed his head to her and then looked at Eren "May I introduce my husband, Prince Eren of Maria".

Eren bowed his head next and said politely "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Tenner".

"Oh, I heard about your marriage! Congratulations to both of you" she said happily and turned to Eren "Am I right in guessing that you are responsible for this rare appearance of our Captain Levi?"

"Of course not, my lady" Eren said brightly and then smirked "Although I may have made a very convincing argument".

Lady Tenner laughed "I'm sure you did, your Highness, in order to get him here it must have been very persuasive. It's been about 10 years since I've seen you at this ball!"

"Only 8 years, my lady" Levi corrected respectfully.

"In any case, it's been much too long" Lady Tenner replied and she moved her hand to pat Eren's shoulder "Do try and get him to come again next year".

"I'll do my best" Eren said smiling and turned toward Levi to look at him.

"I'd better let you go, I'm sure there are so many people anxious to speak with both of you tonight" Lady Tenner said and with a kind smile she wandered away to speak to someone else.

"She was nice" Eren whispered to Levi and he grunted. 

"Unfortunately they're not all going to be like that" Levi grumbled but Eren was grinning just happy to be off the base.

"Well, we get through this in one piece and I promise I have some surprises for you" Eren breathed out his face leaning in a little too close than was respectable in public.

"Surprises?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have plans" Eren said blithely.

"These plans, do they have anything to do with our no clothes policy?" Levi asked trying not to sound to hopeful.

"No" Eren said and then leaned right in so his lips touched Levi's ear "they have everything to do with it".

Levi gulped, he was so fucked. How the fuck was he meant to get through tonight knowing what waited for him afterwards?

"What-" Levi started but a loud voice interrupted.

"Ah! Levi! It's nice of you to grace us with your presence this evening!" a large man with not much hair was coming their way. Eren stepped back to a more respectable distance but the satisfied grin stayed firmly on his face.

"Lord Conner" Levi said his voice dripping in distaste, Eren glanced at him but returned his full attention on the man now right in front of them, his smile faltering a little.

Lord Conner was now staring at Eren "Your husband, I presume" he said and Levi could feel his skin itching.

"Prince Eren, Lord Conner" Levi introduced sharply, Eren extended a hand which Lord Conner grasped and held onto longer than he should have.

"I didn't know they made them like  _this_  in Maria" he leered to Levi and lowered his voice "I might have to make a trip there myself and find my own pretty little thing".

"Eren is not a  _thing_ " Levi growled and even though it was his broken wrist Levi felt Eren's hand move and his thumb rubbing comforting circles on Levi's wrist, it was enough to distract him from his thoughts of murder. Conner seemed to not take any notice of the anger now oozing off Levi and just continued to ogle Eren brazenly.

"It's a pleasure" Eren greeted calmly.

"I must say, Levi, you got very lucky in this arrangement!" Conner said eagerly seeming to think Eren couldn't hear him "I'm sure you already know that though" he winked at Levi.

Levi was fuming, so furious he couldn't get his thoughts in order but Eren was still calm and was again speaking to Conner "We were both very fortunate in this arrangement, my Lord".

Conner just wasn't hearing him though, it was like Eren was only there for him to look at and defintily not to speak too. Conner was grinning at Levi like he was in on something big and when he spoke he just kept digging himself deeper "So, Levi... you've got to tell me what these Marian's are like in bed! You mustn't have any complaints with one that looks like that, eh!"

Levi snapped, he pulled away from Eren and got right up in Conner's face to snarl "How dare you? Eren is royalty and will not be treated in this way. You have no right to speak like this" Levi glared at Conner's now pale face until he nodded and Levi stepped back and snarled "And in the future address him properly and do  _not_  stare".

"It's been  _enlightening_ , Lord Conner, excuse us but I have not had the pleasure of dancing with my husband since our wedding" Eren said firmly and pulled Levi away before he had the chance to attack again or Lord Conner said anything more stupid.

"What a disgusting man" Eren spat and Levi could see the rage now very clear on his face.

"He will never speak about you in that way again" Levi promised fiercely, still itching to punch the man.

"Dance with me?" Eren asked apparently noticing how on edge his husband was and trying to bring him back.

Levi nodded and led Eren out onto a full dance floor. That man will not ruin our night, Levi thought.

"You may have to lead this time" Eren said teasingly holding up his broken wrist.

Levi smiled and moved in, his hand winding around Eren's back and the other grasping his good hand to draw him in close. Eren lay his other arm on Levi's shoulder lightly and didn't move it again. They fell into step with the music and suddenly the hordes of people disappeared and it was just them.

"About what you were saying before?" Levi murmured and Eren smiled but a faint blush did darken his cheeks.

"I need to confess something" Eren began and Levi's eyes widened, was he finally going to understand what's been happening the past two weeks? "So, I'm pretty much responsible for the last two weeks of well, frustration".

"What do you mean?" Levi asked carefully.

"You know that day in the library" Eren whispered and Levi nodded, how could he forget? "Well, please don't kill me, but it was part of a plan" he confessed.

"What plan?" Levi asked, he wasn't angry just curious as to what his husband could have possibly been up to.

"That day, Hange and I were talking" Levi groaned at Hange's name, this was going to be interesting if she were involved "she mentioned the military ball and asked whether we were going".

"Asked? That doesn't sound like Hange" Levi said sceptically making Eren chuckle nervously.

"Not exactly, it was more of a Levi hates going but you'll make him right?" Eren explained lightly "but she did mention how much you hated it and that it would probably take a lot of effort in order for you to agree, so we came up with a plan".

"The library?" Levi guessed and Eren nodded.

"Well, first I got Sasha and Connie to piss you of enough for you to leave" Levi raised his eyebrows, that was Eren's doing? God, he had even seen Eren speaking to them, how had he not put it together?

"What could you have possibly said to get them to agree to that?" Levi asked in wonder.

Eren grinned "There may have been no cover for you coming plus Petra may have been extra lenient on them in the afternoon".

"Petra was in on this as well?" Levi groaned, how far had this gone?

"Ah, not just Petra but you're whole squad, they thought it might be fun to mess with you a little" Eren revealed and Levi sighed in defeat. He had been completely outnumbered.

"Well, you convinced me pretty quickly" Levi acknowledged "but how was everyone else involved?"

"I didn't tell anyone but Hange why and she did the rest, they may have been the reason you've been so busy lately and had so many extra meetings".

"I knew it, there is only so much someone can report about perimeter security!" Levi exclaimed and Eren actually giggled.

"Yeah, I heard about that one, apparently Hange chewed them out pretty good for not being original enough!" Eren laughed and Levi joined in. "I'm honestly surprised everyone made it through the two weeks in one piece."

"So are you going to tell me why I had to endure all of that?" Levi asked.

"You might get pissed at this next part but let me explain first, ok?" Eren said nervously and Levi nodded, what could be so bad? "I want to start with the fact that I do trust you, I just wasn't sure if I could trust myself to keep my promise and I wasn't sure just how convincing you could be".

Levi was watching Eren's guilty face pleading with him to understand "I made up my mind a few weeks ago that I really wanted to be with you in every way". Levi's jaw dropped.

"I want to be with you but I also needed to be here tonight. My father made it pretty clear before we were married what he expected of me and I really do need to be out in public and getting to know the people here".

Levi couldn't help himself but say "You could have explained-" but Eren interrupted.

"I know, I trust you and I believe you would have understood my need to be here but there's a more to it. I was a little bored and I honestly just wanted to have some fun with you plus..." Eren trailed off glancing away. Levi stopped dancing and raised his hand to tilt Eren's chin up to meet his eyes.

"Plus what?" he asked gently and Eren's face turned scarlet.

"I wanted it to be special" Eren whispered.

"Wanted what to be special?" Levi asked confused.

"Our first time" Eren breathed out nervously. And oh, fuck! Levi's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Eren wanted to have sex with him tonight! How fucking thick was he?

"Wait, what?" Levi gasped in shock. 

"I got Hange and everyone to distract you because I knew if we were alone I would cave but I promised myself I'd wait and make sure it was special. Neither of us got a choice in this marriage but we do get a choice in this and I thought it would be better if you had a little taste and then had to wait. I thought maybe it would be better after denying ourselves for a few weeks and the tension built up and-" Eren was rambling but Levi quietened him with a firm kiss. 

"I understand, Eren. You could have told me though, I would have respected your wishes" Levi said softly but Eren moved his good hand up to cup Levi's face.

"I know, it wasn't you though. I thought if you knew it would make it so much easier for me to just crack and give in to a moment. With me avoiding you it dropped the chances of us being alone. I really want to be with you, it's getting so bad that I can't be in the same room without wanting to attack you" Eren declared.

Levi laughed and recognised the need in Eren's voice "So you've been avoiding me, distracting me and pretending to be asleep for two weeks because you were afraid you'd attack me before planned?"

"Basically yes. It  _was_  pretty fun to start with though" Eren said his voice growing more confident and the teasing edge was back "you were much easier to convince than I thought".

"You were half naked and had your tongue down my throat, how could I say no to anything you asked in that moment" Levi countered making Eren flush again but his smile was definitely bigger.

"It  _was_  an excellent plan" Eren confirmed "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist".

"I don't think I'll ever be able to resist you" Levi sighed in defeat making Eren grin happily.

"So, if you still want too, we can leave early and-" Eren started but Levi broke in with lust overtaking his voice.

"Initiate that no clothes policy?"

"Exactly" Eren whispered and leaned in to kiss Levi. The kiss was probably a bit too much for public because after a minute or so someone was tapping them on the shoulder.

"You do know you're in public? In the middle of a dance floor?" Hange cackled at their half annoyed half embarrassed expressions. "I'm going to cut in now before you start taking your clothes off". 

She pulled Eren's hands off Levi and spun him away to continue dancing. Levi watched as they danced and talked but his mind was completely overloaded. How the fuck was he meant to stay calm now? 

"Dance with me?" A feminine voice called and he looked over to see Petra, she was dressed in an elegant black floor length dress and her hair was tied up in a polished knot [<Petra's Dress>](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/268456827765386323/).

"You have a lot to explain" Levi said grumpily but Petra giggled taking his hand.

"You try saying no to him or Hange for that matter" she said happily, not regretting her decisions at all if it meant she could see her Captain opening up to someone.

"Yeah, I've tried, how do you think I ended up here?" Levi conceded to more giggles from Petra.

"He's good for you" Petra said sincerely and Levi nodded in agreement, he hadn't been this happy and excited for a long time and it was all because of Eren.

"Don't fuck it up" she threatened and then smiled and walked off the dance floor as the song ended.

 

***

 

He was finally with Eren again after an hour of dancing where neither had been able to get away from the countless people wanting their attention. Levi had watched as Eren danced and charmed his way through many conversations dancing with both men and women. The women walked away with elated smiles and pink cheeks while the men seemed happily surprised with the Marian Prince. Levi hadn't been paying much attention to the people he was dancing with much to caught up in his husband and making sure no one harassed him like Lord Conner had tried.

When he saw Eren make a break for it, Levi excused himself from his partner and all but ran after his husband. He caught his hand and pulled him to a stop in the middle of the crowd.

"Levi!" Eren gasped cheerfully "I couldn't get away from everyone".

"Me either" Levi agreed and then looked Eren over carefully, his hair was mussed and his cheeks pink from dancing "No one tried anything, did they?"

"No, everyone was very kind" Eren answered lightly "there are so many interesting people here! It's amazing to meet them and talk with them about their lives! It's actually really fun".

Levi smiled softly at the pure joy on Eren's face as he talked.

"I've been thinking recently about my life here" Eren began "and about what I want to do. I'm a prince, I should do more than just hover around a military base. As much as I love being around you, I want to start something, I have the ability to do some good in Trost  _and_  in Maria, so I think it's my responsibility to try".

Levi was blown away by the words but also felt his heart swell at Eren's conviction to do good, apparently getting married for a peace alliance was not enough for Eren and Levi felt himself fall deeper for him. 

"Heard anything interesting yet?" Levi asked genuinely intrigued as to what Eren wanted, he still didn't know nearly enough about Eren and he wanted any information he could get.

"I have so many ideas but nothing has really hit me yet" Eren answered his eyes bright with hope.

Levi stepped forward and laced his finger's through Eren's "I'm sure you'll find something, anyone would be lucky to have you want to help".

Eren beamed at him "Come with me to meet more people?"

Levi nodded and walked out into the gardens with Eren. He spent the next two hours listening to his husband talk animatedly to anyone and everyone he came in contact with, he was energetic and informed and passionate about everything. Levi hadn't seen him like this yet and it was beautiful to watch, he had been right in thinking anyone here would be lucky to work with him.

Eren still hadn't found anything that struck home though, nothing he loved absolutely. After someone would excuse themselves Levi would raise an eyebrow in question and Eren would shake his head slightly but his mood never dampened, he just found someone new to talk with. Levi was very content with their set-up, he didn't have to say much apart from introductions and then Eren would carry the whole conversation with Levi only making small comments every now and then.

After two hours Levi of watching and wanting Eren, he had to excuse them and dragged Eren to the bathrooms locking the door behind them. As soon as the lock turned he was on Eren and although surprised Eren very happily responded. He kissed him fiercely his tongue already in Eren's mouth and one hand in his hair and the other cupping his ass. Eren groaned into his mouth at the contact and his own hand found it way to Levi's chest.

"Levi..." Eren moaned but Levi couldn't let him go yet, just a few more moments.

"God, Eren you're so fucking hot" Levi breathed out low and heavy, his hands trying to pull the brunette closer.

"Ugh... L-Levi" Eren croaked but kissed him even harder.

There was a loud tapping on the door which broke them apart, Levi scowled at the sound. It continue a little louder.

"I know you two are in there!" Hange called out and Levi dropped his head to Eren's chest.

"Leave us the fuck alone, shitty glasses" Levi yelled back and Eren chuckled at the annoyance in his voice.

"I'm not leaving until you come out!" Hange yelled back "I will not let you defile that boy in a public bathroom, Levi!"

"HANGE!" Levi yelled and stormed to the door yanking it open.

"Hello" Hange smirked at Levi and then waved at Eren, who fucking waved back. She stepped past Levi and inside holding the door open behind her. "A few more hours and you can leave and do whatever you want at home" Hange lectured with a grin.

"Fucking fine!" Levi growled and tried to pass her but she grabbed his arm.

"You might want to fix your hair... and shirt" Hange laughed looking him over. Levi scowled at her but went to the mirror to fix his hair and shit, his shirt was pulled up and two buttons undone.

Levi glanced over at Eren "You work pretty fast". Eren just shrugged and smirked, running fingers through his own hair and straightening his shirt.

"Out! Both of you!" Hange cried and ushered both of them out of the room. "Don't even think about trying to sneak him away again, Levi!"

Levi flipped her off as Eren walked back into the fray almost immediately being overwhelmed by people again.

"I'm watching you!" He heard Hange shout from behind him.

Eren spent the next few hours contentedly continuing to make conversation with nearly everyone in the room, he danced more with both Levi and strangers and Levi watched as Eren's face grew happier and happier. Meanwhile, Levi grew more aroused. The more he was with Eren the more he needed him alone. He needed to run his hands over Eren's body. He needed to be inside Eren. 

He was hard and completely enthralled by his husband, thinking of the promise of tonight. Eren was on the dance floor, laughing with an older woman as he tried to lead her with his broken wrist, Eren's smile was completely captivating. His mind began to wander again.

He was in mid-thought over what Eren's legs would look like naked and wrapped around him when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around startled.

Hange stood behind him smirking "I have a message from your husband". Levi just raised an eyebrow waiting for her to continue. "He wanted me to tell you that whenever you're ready to get the fuck out of here, he is too".

Levi let a slow smile spread over his face. Finally, he thought, fucking finally!

"Now" Levi said quickly and firmly "I'm ready now". Hange's grin looked like it was going to split her face open, she cackled at Levi's response and then wandered over to Eren who had just finished his dance. She leant down and spoke into his ear, Eren's eyes snapped over to Levi's and he smiled widely. He was apparently just as excited.

Levi had had enough waiting, so he stalked over to Eren and gripped his hand. Eren squeezed his back tightly making Levi's heart pound louder. This was happening, they were actually leaving. Home and bed waiting for them. Levi pulled Eren away quickly, they got a few curious looks and even some knowing smiles but neither of them cared if they were being too obvious. They need out, now.

A carriage was waiting as they stepped outside, Levi climbed in first and helped Eren up closing the door behind them. They felt it move forward and then looked at each other, realising they were finally alone.

Levi moved forward quickly but before he could kiss him, Eren covered Levi's mouth with his fingers and spoke hastily "As much as I want to right this second, if we start we will never leave this carriage and I really don't want to emotionally scar our driver".

"Fuck the driver" Levi grumbled.

Eren grinned suggestively "I'd prefer to fuck you, actually" he muttered low and wanton. Levi couldn't help the groan he let out, he was so far gone.

"You're not making this easier" Levi growled.

"20 minutes, Levi" Eren breathed "20 minutes and we will be in our own room. Alone. And I promise I will be very naked".

"Ughh, Eren" Levi grumbled "that is not helping". Eren just shrugged again. He is enjoying this way to much, Levi thought, just you wait, Eren. Just wait.

The next 20 minutes went by excruciatingly slow and when they reached the base again Levi felt like he was going to explode from the tension. He jumped out quickly and with Eren's hand firmly in his own he pulled him quickly through the doors and halls that would eventually lead to their room.

They were both so consumed with each other as they made their way inside that they didn't notice the faces peering out from a window, watching them. If they had been more attentive and  _had_  looked over they would have seen and probably heard the excited shouting and catcalls from Eren's friends as they watched them go inside. Eren's plan had definitely been a success and they were excited to hear about the results. Well most of them were excited, one in particular wanted to die of embarrassment at everyone's actions.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, pervs, we've got smut next chapter :P  
> And yes the recruits were waiting for them to come back, they really wanted to know if Eren's plan worked! ;)


	18. Come Together

As soon as their bedroom door slammed closed behind them all of their walls came crashing down. Levi covered Eren with his entire body pushing him against the wall, their lips connected and finally kissing without restraint. And god did they fucking kiss. Eren felt Levi's tongue in his mouth instantly and pushed back with his own, it was heavy and hot and Eren could only take short breaths through his nose but it was perfect. Levi's hands were already on his waist pulling his shirt out and running his palms up and under to Eren's bare chest.

Eren could only groan at the sensations running all over his body, Levi was unrestrained and dominating and Eren was loving every fucking second. One of Levi's hands pulled away and started tugging off Eren's jacket and even in the haze of arousal he still managed to remember to be careful with Eren's broken wrist. After a moment of Levi pulling on sleeves while still furiously kissing Eren the jacket came loose and fell forgotten to the floor.

In that time Eren had managed to get a few buttons on Levi's coat undone one handed but he was very distracted by Levi's wandering hands and scorching kisses, he couldn't do more than whine in frustration into Levi's mouth at the task before him, Levi seemed to understand and moved his hands away from Eren to quickly undo his own jacket and shrug it off to fall in a pile near Eren's.

Eren grinned in success and pressed deeper into Levi's mouth, one hand twining its way into Levi's silky hair and the other elbow crooked around his neck keeping him close. Levi started in on Eren's clothes again, taking a few frustrating moments to get the knots in his cravat undone without looking before throwing it in triumph on the ground and began on the vest. Levi still had him pressed against the wall, one leg now pushing insistently between Eren's thighs to part them, Eren threw his legs wide and relied entirely on Levi's strength to keep him upright.

"Shirt" Eren mumbled moving his hand from Levi's hair to tug at his husband's still completely done up shirt. Levi complied and swiftly unbuttoned his own shirt letting Eren tug it out from his pants and then he moved back to pushing Eren's vest off his shoulders. Why were they wearing so many fucking layers? Eren thought angrily. The shirt and vest met the other unwanted clothes on the ground and Eren's hand was tracing patterns on Levi's back while his mouth moved away to press soft kisses to Levi's throat.

He felt Levi take a deep breath at Eren's movement and pause briefly before nimble fingers moved to Eren's shirt, before long Eren had to move his arms back so Levi could pull his shirt off and drop it to the floor.

"These pants need to go" Levi growled against Eren, who nodded quickly in agreement. Eren stopped his kisses to let Levi concentrate and tilted his head back to lean against the wall. He drew in deep calming breaths while he felt Levi kneel down, his long fingers unlaced Eren's boots and pulled them off one by one, his socks following quickly, there was a moment when Levi had to let go of Eren completely to untie and shuck his own boots off, Eren hearing them thump against the ground.

Then Levi's cool fingers returned and were skimming along the edge of Eren's pants, still kneeling before him he gently pulled them down, sliding them over long tan legs. Levi kissed his way down over his hip and down his thigh, as the pants went lower so did the kisses. He gripped one hand against Eren's leg to steady him and lifted a foot to pull his leg from the fabric and then did the same for the other. 

He rose up and connected their mouths again while Eren's hand fumbled with Levi's pants. He needed them off right now! He started to desperately tug on them not being able to concentrate with Levi's tongue swirling inside his mouth and eventually just gave up to put his hand back in Levi's hair and grip tightly. If Levi wanted his pants off he could do it himself, Eren decided and just concentrated on Levi's hands and the feel of skin against skin. 

Levi seemed to realise Eren had given up on the pants and he broke off their kiss with a smirk "Having some trouble?" he murmured.

"Help me?" Eren pleaded and Levi's eyes widen at the question, at his broken voice and at Eren's hand now moving his own to his pants fervently. Needing to touch more, he quickly responded to Eren's plea and tore his pants down and off in a few fluid moments, both now standing there in only their underwear.

"Bed?" Eren asked.

"Bed" Levi agreed firmly.

Before Eren could take a step Levi had lowered his hands under Eren's thighs and in one movement had swiftly lifted him up. Eren breathed in deeply at the shift and wrapped his long legs around Levi's waist tightly, his arms encircled his neck and his lips found Levi's again. Levi carried Eren to their bed, kissing him deeply the whole way. Eren felt Levi stop and lean them forward as he released his grip and let Eren's back fall onto the bed, Levi followed his descent and covered Eren's body with his own.

Levi pulled his head back to look at Eren as he lay beneath him, breath heaving and pupils blown wide with arousal. 

"Fuck" Levi groaned and Eren agreed, this was so much better than he imagined.

Eren moved a little to prop himself up on his elbows to push himself further back on the bed, Levi moved with him and soon Eren's head was touching pillows and his legs no longer dangled off the bed. Eren grinned up at Levi who smiled happily in return.

"Worth coming home early?" Levi whispered.

"Definitely" Eren murmured in consent.

Levi leaned in and kissed him briefly on the lips before moving onto his neck and pressing soft kisses into his skin, Eren sighed at the tingling sensation as Levi's mouth moved further down, over his collarbone and onto his chest. Wet lips traced down to his nipples and kissed them, tongue darting out to lick slow circles onto sensitive skin. Eren groaned, his back arching when Levi began to suck. 

"Ughh... Le-vi" Eren's voice was throaty and fractured and seemed to only encourage Levi's actions, his mouth moved over to the other nipple and his soft kisses, grazing teeth and wet tongue were completely undoing Eren. 

"L-Levi... I-I need..." Eren knew he needed something he just couldn't concentrate enough to figure out what but Levi knew.

"I know, I've got you, Eren" Levi sighed deeply and his mouth moved down lower, Levi's hands nimbly removed Eren's underwear to threw them far away. His mouth still pressing kisses down, the further he went the faster Eren's heart pounded and the deeper his breathing became. Eren was panting as Levi's mouth finally touched his shaft, he was hard and leaking by now and knew it wouldn't take much to find release. Eren groaned loudly as Levi's tongue licked its way slowly up his length until he reached the tip, he licked around and then took Eren into his mouth entirely.

"Oh, fuck!" Eren cried, he was completely on edge, his back arched off the bed and his hips kicking up to meet Levi's mouth. Levi sucked up and down his shaft in slow movements, his hand coming up to steady Eren's hips as they started moving in time with Levi's mouth. Levi's mouth took him in all the way and held for a moment before letting go and sliding back up, his tongue coming out to play with his leaking tip.

"L-Levi... I'm gonna... Ughh" Eren moaned gripping Levi's shoulder tightly, his bad hand flung behind his head and resting on a pillow.

"It's ok, I've got you" Levi said hoarsely and moved his mouth back down covering Eren's entire length again, his hand had moved to play with Eren's ball and the movements combined were too much for him. With his cock still completely encased, Eren let out a low, guttural groan as he released his load into Levi's mouth. Levi didn't move as he felt Eren let go, he just stayed and swallowed everything Eren gave him. After a moment he slowly moved his mouth from Eren's cock and slumped forward to cover Eren's body with his own.

Eren's hand moved forward and started carding its way through Levi's hair gently while Levi closed his eyes. Eren was breathing hard and just lying contentedly in the moment with Levi.

"Fuck, that was amazing" Eren whispered a little awed and heard Levi huff out a laugh.

"You ready for round two?" Eren smiled loving to hear the teasing in Levi's voice knowing he was just as happy to be here as Eren was.

"Definitely" Eren sighed happily "You?"

"I'm always up for round two with you" Levi said sincerely and Eren gripped his hair and pulled softly to get Levi to move up, Levi responded quickly and pushed his head closer to cover Eren's mouth in lazy kisses which got progressively deeper and hotter. Suddenly Levi broke off and stared at Eren in horror.

"I don't have anything" he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked worried.

"Oils or... fuck, anything to make this easier for you" Levi's head dropped against Eren's in frustration. Eren only smiled, was that all?

"I've got you covered" Eren murmured kissing Levi's cheek softly. Levi raised his head to look at Eren while he nodded towards the draw beside the bed. 

"Really?" Levi asked and extended his hand to open the draw and feel around inside until he brought out a bottle of lubricating oils. "Fuck, you're amazing" Levi sighed bringing his hand back over and kissing Eren deeply.

"I told you... I had a plan" He muttered between kisses making Levi smile.

"You and your fucking plans" Levi grinned against his mouth. They kissed for a few moments, each trying to get their breath to steady a little.

"You ever done this before?" Levi asked quietly, Eren shook his head. "Not even to yourself?" Eren shook his head again.

"Alright, we're going to take it really slow and you just tell me to stop at any point if you need me too, ok?" Levi said seriously and Eren nodded, his nerves flaring up again. "It's going to be fine, I promise" Levi murmured against his lips, kissing him deeply again. Eren watched as Levi poured oil over his fingers and started to moved his body down so he was positioned between Eren's legs.

"Breathe, Eren, and relax your muscles" Levi guided and waited until Eren followed his directions, his breathing evened out and his thighs relaxed a little. Eren could feel Levi's cool fingers massaging around his entrance. Breathe, Eren thought, just breathe.

"Levi?" Eren whispered and Levi immediately looked up at him concerned "Just go slow?"

Levi smiled and bent down to kiss Eren's hip "Of course" he hummed and then Eren felt as a slick finger slowly pressed inside him and his breath hitched at the pressure.

"Breathe and relax" Levi purred his finger pulling out to gently massage the outer area again before dipping back in. Eren let out a breath as he adjusted to the stretching feeling of Levi's finger inside him, the finger began to move gently, wiggling around and sliding up and down.

"Fu-uck" Eren moaned, Levi smiled and moved his finger around more vigorously. After a few moments Levi looked up at Eren questioningly and he nodded quickly for Levi to insert another finger.

The second finger entered slowly and a little painfully, Eren couldn't help tensing up at the pressure but with Levi's hand massaging circles into his thigh and his soft whispers of reassurance Eren was able to relax into it. Levi's fingers slid in and out, his pace quickening and Eren's breath coming out in shudders, a few minutes later Eren gave the ok to go further. A third finger pushed its way inside and Eren had to close his eyes and just breathe deeply listening to Levi's calming words.

When Eren opened his eyes, Levi moved his fingers, slowly at first and then faster and faster, wiggling them around until a wonderful sensation rocked through Eren's body.

"Oh, fuck" he groaned, his head dropping onto the pillows and his eyes snapping closed, Levi laughed and moved his fingers to hit that spot again making Eren whimper at the pleasure. "The fuck is that?" Eren moaned.

"Prostate" Levi muttered happily and hit it again making Eren's toes curl up and his hand grip the sheets "You ok to keep going?" Levi asked gently.

"Definitely" Eren sighed, pleasure still tingling through his body. Levi then pulled his fingers out and Eren whimpered at the loss.

"I'm still here, Eren" Levi whispered gently his hand rubbing Eren's thigh, Eren watched as he grabbed the bottle and poured oil over his hand and stared as Levi placed that hand on his own cock and started rubbing up and down. Eren watched mesmerized at the action, only now realizing just how big Levi was. This is going to hurt, Eren thought anxiously but he trusted Levi to go slow and knew he would stop if Eren asked.

Levi moved his hand away from his cock and onto Eren's other thigh "Can you lift your legs up on my shoulders" Levi asked softly and Eren nodded raising his legs to rest on Levi's strong shoulders.

"That's it" Levi murmured and adjusted himself over Eren, his knees on either side of the brunette's hips, "You alright?"

Eren nodded, he was nervous but he really wanted this, he wanted Levi. He felt Levi's tip at his entrance and slowly breathed out as he felt him move. Levi began to press in slowly, Eren's hand gripping the sheets tightly, his legs twitching on Levi's shoulders. The pressure was too intense, it was hurting and he felt like he was being stretched too wide.

"Fucking shit, Levi" Eren groaned and Levi paused, already slowly pulling out but Eren didn't want that at all, he looked up at the man and said gently "I'm ok, Levi, I'm fine. Just give me a moment".

Levi did, he stopped moving and allowed Eren to adjust and get used to the feeling, and only when Eren nodded did he press further in. 

"Ngnn... Ahh" Eren mumbled his hand moving from the sheets to grip in Levi's hair, Levi pushed in further, deep and deliberate until he was buried to the hilt. He leaned forward quickly pressing Eren's legs between their chests to claim Eren's mouth in a kiss. It was quick and hot but Eren had needed that contact. Levi leaned back and pulled out slowly only to thrust back in.

"Fuck..." They both grunted feeling the friction heating up between them, Levi repeated the movement a little quicker, thrusting in a little deeper.

"Oh... God" Eren cried, Levi had hit his prostate again, there was still an intense pressure but it had turned to exhilaration. The white hot buzz of Levi hitting his prostate was radiating through his body only to have Levi pull back and thrust back in harder to hit it again.

"Fu-uck" Eren moaned, throwing his head back, making Levi smile and encouraging him to go a little faster, he thrust into Eren a few more times getting him used to the pace and the sensations before he started pumping in more rapidly. His hips were smacking against Eren with each thrust and Eren couldn't help the low moans and string of profanities escaping his mouth.

"Oh... so fucking good" Eren mumbled, his eyes half closed and his body completely wrecked. Levi's cock was stiff and solid inside him and he could see the way Levi was unravelling with him. His eyes pupils were blown and his breathing ragged, his hands clutching tightly to Eren's skin and Eren knew he would have faint bruises there in the morning.

"I'm close" Levi groaned, thrusting in deep again, Eren whimpering at the fullness. Levi moved a hand from Eren's thigh to his cock and still covered in oil started sliding it up and down his shaft. Eren was too far gone to care what noises were coming out of his mouth now, he was overwhelmed with Levi and just completely giving in to the man. Eren was so hard again, his tip leaking and body straining in order to get his release, Levi was right there with him.

"Come... inside me" Eren gasped faintly but Levi heard him and the returning growl was enough to send the both careening off the edge. With one final thrust, Levi released deep inside Eren just as Eren let go into Levi's hand. Eren's back arched off the bed and Levi's muscles tensed with the pleasure running its course through their bodies. With a deep shuddering breath Levi collapsed on top of him and closed his eyes, still buried deep. 

"You're so fucking beautiful" Levi whispered softly into Eren's chest. Eren's eyes were closed, trying to stay in that high, his body tingled and he knew he would be incredibly sore in the morning but he didn't care. He was here in this moment with Levi and it had been so much better than he could have ever imagined.

"Are you ok?" Levi muttered, raising his head, his voice concerned "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Eren moved his hand in Levi's hair, swiftly carding his fingers through and a small satisfied smile on his face "I'm perfect" he answered tiredly, he watched the smile form on Levi's face mirroring his own. 

"I don't want to move" Levi breathed, his eyes half closed. 

"No one said you have too" Eren replied quietly, content to just lay there with his lover covering him still feeling him inside.

Levi sighed happily, resting his head on Eren's chest and his hands tracing patterns on Eren's sweaty skin.

"You want a bath?" Levi muttered after a few moments of silence but Eren shook his head. He was in complete agreement with not moving, he'd probably be happy to stay like this forever.

"I'm fine... want to stay in bed" Eren said gently and he felt Levi's answering nod against him, "we can do this again in the morning, right?" Eren said hopefully.

Levi snorted out a laugh "We can go again right now if you want" he replied playfully making Eren giggle.

"Morning... I need sleep" Eren said lightly "Been a long day".

"It's been a long few weeks" Levi teased and Eren smacked him gently on the shoulder.

"Worth it, though" Eren said grinning.

"Definitely worth it" Levi agreed and then much to Eren's displeasure he started moving away, he felt Levi slide out and felt immediately empty.

"Where are you going?" he grumbled, keeping a firm hand on Levi, who just chuckled at him.

"Just to get a cloth to clean us up a little" he said and leaned over to press a chaste kiss on Eren's lips.

"Fine but hurry up" Eren muttered and Levi snorted out another laugh. He watch Levi's ass as he walked out of the room and into the bathroom, he heard the tap running and then stared happily as his lover returned to their bed. He patted the damp cloth over Eren's body, cleaning up their mess and then moved the cloth over himself. Once he was finished Eren actually felt a lot better but there was no way he was telling Levi that.

Levi moved and fell next to him, Eren immediately turned over and wrapped his arm around Levi's body, his head rested on the curve of his shoulder and his legs moving so they were all tangled up with Levi's. He was so happy and content in that moment cuddled up with Levi, words slipped out of his mouth he had definitely thought but hadn't intended to say.

"I love you, Levi" he whispered as sleep washed over him and before he passed out he thought heard Levi's soft reply "I love you, too".

 

***

 

Lazy morning sex became Eren's second favourite thing to do right after the fervent fucking that had happened late last night. It had been slower and steadier both of them just enjoying being together, there were lazy smiles and breathy laughs in the late morning sunlight streaming through their window. It had been perfect and comfortable and even though Eren's body ached he was beyond happy.

Afterwards Levi had even followed through on his promise of a bath, leaving Eren lying on their bed he went to the bathroom and set everything up. When he came back in, Eren had tried to stand up and follow but a sharp pain shot through his lower back and he stumbled back down on the bed.

"Fuck" he grumbled and Levi was by his side in an instant.

"Sore?" he asked with concern and Eren nodded. What he hadn't expected was for Levi to then scoop him up in his arms and carry him to the bathtub, Eren had been startled but was soon laughing happily as Levi carefully placed him into the hot water.

"Ah... fuck that's good" Eren moaned, even though the initial heat was a shock to his sore ass the hot water was doing wonders for his aching muscles. Levi was stepping away when Eren looked over "Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

"Ah, I thought you might want to be alone" Levi said sheepishly.

Eren rolled his eyes "Get the fuck in here, idiot" he said and reached out to grab Levi's hand. Levi smirked and rolled off his underwear that he had only recently put back on and climbed in behind Eren. He settle down with his legs on either side and his arms wrapped around Eren's chest as he felt the brunette's body lean back and relax against his.

"Levi?" Eren asked "Don't you have stuff to do today? As much as I want you right here and don't actual intend to let you leave, won't Erwin get pissed at you for not showing?"

Levi chuckled lightly "Day off, everyone who attended last night will have most of today off. It's the one day a year we really get to ourselves plus the soldiers aren't really known for their restraint when it comes to free drinks, late nights and willing dates".

Eren laughed "I'm glad, I really don't want you to disappear just yet. I haven't really seen you in two weeks".

"And whose fault is that?" Levi teased and Eren rolled his eyes, he doubted Levi would let him forget that anytime soon.

"Mine but it was definitely worth it" Eren said his thoughts going back to last night and that morning.

"Yeah, no complaints here" Levi agreed.

There was silence as they enjoyed the hot water swirling around them but Eren had started thinking and couldn't help it when he started talking.

"Levi? I was thinking..." he started but trailed off not knowing how to phrase what he wanted.

"What's wrong?" Levi nudged.

"Ah... it's nothing. Don't worry about it" Eren said, he couldn't say it, Levi would defintily shoot the idea down.

"Eren, you can tell me anything"  Levi said calmly but Eren heard the worry.

"Alright" Eren sighed and turned his head to look at Levi "it's just an idea so feel free to say no" Levi narrowed his eyes curiously "but I've been curious... thinking about what it might be like to maybe try... switching positions" Eren finished his voice going quieter and trailing off as he watched Levi's stunned face.

"It's ok, just say no, it was stupid..." Eren said hastily and tried to turn away but Levi's hand came up to cup Eren's cheek.

Levi's voice was low and gravelly "You want to be the one on top?"

"It was stupid, don't worry about it" Eren mumbled but Levi did not let go off him and suddenly he swooped in and kissed him firmly.

"If you want too we can" Levi whispered and Eren's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Seriously?" Eren asked in disbelief "It doesn't have to be anytime soon, just someday".

"Yes, Eren, I'm very ok with it" Levi answered with a small smirk on his face "I mean, I haven't before but I'm willing to try if you want too".

"Please, yes" Eren said his eyes bright and shining and then he blushed, confessing "I just have this image of you in my head I can't shake".

"Really? And what's that?" Levi murmured, grey eyes dark and full of lust.

Eren's face turned scarlet but he didn't back down speaking in a low purr "I just need to see your face with me inside you and watch you come apart on top of me". Eren felt as Levi's cock hardened at his words and heard the low groan he tried to hold back.

"I think we can manage that" Levi growled and pounced on Eren with a firm kiss, they didn't get too far as the bath was a little too slippery and they both really were just enjoying relaxing a little. When Eren settled back against Levi's chest he had a very self satisfied smile on his face knowing that Levi was his and at this point would probably do anything he asked of him. It was an amazing feeling.

They spent some time washing each other down with a wet cloth and Levi even washed Eren's hair for him, it was so easy and comfortable for them to find their rhythm and Eren just kept thanking God or the universe for aligning him so perfectly with Levi. They stayed in the bath until the water grew cool around them and then Levi helped Eren out, wrapped him up in a towel and moved him over to a chair.

"We're not going back to bed?" Eren teased lightly.

Levi snorted "Not until I change those sheets" and Eren grinned knowing what his not to distant future held.

 

***

 

So apparently any sex with Levi was good for Eren. After Levi changed the sheets and ran downstairs to grab some food for them, which they ate on the couch, did he pick up a protesting Eren, who could damn well walk on his own, and threw him down on the clean bed. Levi was much more dominant this time around, thrusting in deeper and faster much to Eren's delight. Eren wasn't quite ready to switch roles yet still seriously enjoying the feeling of Levi filling him up and his demanding heavy kisses and how he was able to pull such wanton noises out of his mouth. Levi pulled out after their release and Eren snuggled in close, throwing half of his body over Levi and making sure they were good and tangled up together.

"We're going to need another bath" Levi sighed contentedly making Eren chuckle.

"Wait until after we sleep, I have some plans for later" Eren teased.

"Do I want to know?" Levi asked suspiciously.

"It's all good, I promise, I was just thinking some more" Eren explained, that teasing edge not disappearing.

"Aren't you sore?" Levi teased back but there was genuine concern there.

"Yeah" Eren sighed deflating "Maybe we should wait until later then. We do any more today and I won't be able to walk tomorrow".

Levi snorted and leaned in to kiss Eren firmly "I think you might have trouble walking anyway" he muttered.

"Yeah, actually you're right" Eren sighed and kissed Levi back lightly. They stayed cuddle up quietly for awhile just resting and being close before Eren began to get restless and started fidgeting. They eventually got up and put some clothes on to move to the couch where they stayed curled up reading for the rest of the afternoon. Levi poked his head out of their door at dinner time and intimidated a young recruit to go and get their food for them, Eren would of felt bad but he really had no desire to leave their bubble. 

They crawled into bed late that night and slept soundly  only to be woken up by sharp knocking on their front door. Eren groaned in anger and tried to bury himself deeper in blankets to get away from the horrible sound but Levi was rolling out of bed muttering profanities.

"Who's here so early?" Eren muttered savagely his eyes still firmly closed.

"Shh, it's ok, I've got it, go back to sleep" Levi comforted softly and Eren heard him walking out and towards the door. He listened as Levi answered it and spoke sharply, another male voice answered and then a female voice joined in as well. Go away, Eren pleaded pulling his pillow up and over his head to block out the noise and try and return to sleep. It didn't happen because before long Levi had walked back into their room and knelt beside the bed near Eren's head.

"Eren?" he whispered and Eren poked his face out of the pillows "I'm sorry but you need to get up, Erwin and Hange are here".

"The fuck are they doing here" he mumbled moving the pillow aside to face Levi.

"No fucking clue, they said it's important and you need to hear it as well" Levi explained tensely making Eren curious and able to sit up properly.

"I don't know where my shirt is" he mumbled still half asleep and watched as Levi moved around to pick up a shirt of the ground and hand it too him.

Eren then swung his legs off the mattress and tried to stand, his lower back and hips were still really sore and all of his muscles ached. Levi steadied him and he proceeded to stumbled out of their bedroom and into the living area. Erwin was standing by the couch and Hange was perched on the edge of an armchair as they entered, Eren walked over and sat down on the lounge with Levi taking the spot next to him.

"Ok, what the fuck is this about" Levi asked firmly, his eyes narrowed at his Commander, but Erwin was looking at Eren and he almost looked sorry. Hange was staring at Eren as well with a look of irritation and pity on her face.

"I'm sorry for coming here so early, it was urgent" Erwin began, addressing Eren but his eyes flicking over to Levi "Hange received a report about an hour ago and brought it me and we both thought it best to inform you immediately".

Eren's breathing started to pitch a little and Levi immediately had a soothing hand on his thigh "What is it? What's happened?" Eren asked nervously.

"It seems your father is on his way to Trost" Erwin said steadily "He'll be here in the next few days".

 


	19. The World Spins Madly On

Eren was breathing erratically. Levi listened as his breath hitched and became shallow and panicked. He immediately moved off the lounge and knelt beside the brunette grabbing both of Eren's hands in his own.

"Breathe, Eren, it's OK. I'm here" Levi whispered reassuringly, he pitched his voice over to Erwin and Hange "You two need to leave. We'll discuss this later".

Levi heard them stand up and walk out; they might have said something but he didn't care- he was entirely focused on Eren. He needed Eren to calm down before he spiralled into a full-on panic attack.

"Listen to me, Eren, I'm here and I'm not leaving. Whatever your father wants it won't matter- you come first. I'll protect you" Levi whispered softly, running his hand over Eren's thigh in comforting circles.

"Levi..." Eren's voice was broken and panicky "I-I don't want him here". Tears filled Eren's eyes and gasping sobs took over the panic. Eren was breathing again but he was also brokenly sobbing in front of Levi. He moved to sit on the lounge again and took Eren into his arms, lifting him up on his lap and hugging him tightly. He let him cry, the tension and built up emotion from years of silence finally taking it's toll.

Eren had found a safe place. A home. It had happened too quick but it had always felt right. He was with Levi and he had friends. And now his father was going to ruin it. He was going to tarnish his security. Eren didn't want bad memories in this place like he had all over Maria. He never wanted to walk into an office and feel an attack coming on because memories flooded him.

He needed this place to stay his refuge. And that meant completely confiding in Levi.

If he told Levi everything, Eren knew his husband would move heaven and earth to keep him safe. Eren knew Levi had pieces of information but it was time to take control. If he wanted this place to stay as the haven he had come to know then he would need to tell Levi. He wanted to tell Levi everything.

He calmed his breathing and slowed the tears and looked at his husband.

He could do this. He was strong enough to do this.

"I want to tell you some things, Levi" Eren croaked after a while his eyes not leaving Levi's. But before Levi could answer Eren quietly stood up and walked to one of his discarded bags. He rifled through it until he found the picture he was looking for. He had kept it in his bag, he hadn't felt like he could put it up yet.

It was like he knew he had to tell Levi before he could put the picture on display.

It was his mother.

Eren folded himself back on the couch and snuggled into Levi's side, tears were still falling and he knew they weren't likely to stop anytime soon.

"This is my mother" Eren whispered and held the picture out for Levi. He took it so carefully and gently, like it was precious, and then stared at the woman in the picture.

"You look just like her" Levi said astonished, whatever he had been expecting it wasn't this. Eren was an almost an exact carbon copy of his mother. Well, except she had longer hair and a little more feminine face. 

"I think this is part of the reason he hates me" Eren said quietly, Levi looked over at him "I don't think he can stand to look at my face".

"I'm going to talk for awhile, Levi, and I just need you to listen" Eren pleaded quietly, Levi nodded in agreement but tightened his embrace on his husband. 

Eren started speaking, his voice quiet and hoarse and uneven: "My father didn't speak to me for a year after my mum died. He ignored me completely, if I came into a room he would leave or have someone pull me out. He didn't even come to my mum's funeral- no one knew she had died so it was just me and Mika. One day, after a year of silence I went in to his office, I wanted to try and reach out, to talk to mydad about this book I had read, I remember going over to him, quietly hoping that this time he would look at me, maybe speak to me and he did. I started talking about the book and I remember him getting up and walking over and I was so excited, you know, my dad was talking to me again. But as he got closer I saw that he was angry and I got scared, I tried to leave the room but he grabbed my arm and then he hit me in the stomach."

Levi was furious, how could anyone treat their child like that? He wanted to run to this asshole and kick the absolute shit out of him for what he did to Eren. Eren's eyes were glazed over and he was lost in the memories but Levi kept his word and stayed silent.

"I went down pretty hard but my dad grabbed me again and started talking. I remember I actually got excited because finally after 12 months my dad was speaking to me again- but then I heard what he was saying. He was telling me that my mum should never have died, that it was my fault, that I should pay for what I did... that he wished it was me who had died instead".

The tears were flowing steadily down Eren's face and Levi, still not saying anything but quietly seething, rubbed calming circles on Eren's back.

"I was shocked, I thought it was an accident but my dad kept saying that if she hadn't come back early she would still be here, that if I never existed she would still be alive. I was the reason my mum was dead. It only got worse after that, he didn't hit me again for a long time and I thought maybe it was an accident, he hadn't meant it- I believed he hadn't meant it. He yelled all the time though- always when we were alone. He was always telling me the same thing- I was the reason his wife died, he wished I didn't exist, how useless I was compared to mum.

     It took him about a year and a half after that first time to hit me again. He was declining and obsessing- he would focus on one thing entirely, obsess over it until it was complete and then shift his focus onto something else. I happened to get in his way one time. I had to tell everyone I had fallen down the stairs there was so much bruising- I was on bedrest for 3 days and had those bruises for weeks.

     It got worse from there- he managed to get more clever with punishment. Hurt me in places people couldn't see or weren't obvious, I'm not sure why but once he didn't let me sleep for three days- wouldn't let me out of his sight- I only got away from that one because he got distracted by a diplomatic visit from the King and Queen of Shiganshina. I remember falling asleep in the Library hiding from him and then waking up in Armin's room two days later. Apparently Rico Brzenska found me and made Armin keep me there until I woke up.

    People started to joke that I was accident prone, that I couldn't go a day without falling over or bumping into something. I didn't say anything, I was too scared. I didn't want Mika to know or get involved, he didn't hate her and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Nobody ever noticed or cared too much and I just kept pretending. See this..." Eren flipped his hand over and placed it in Levi's again, his palm facing down, and Levi saw something he'd never noticed before.

It was skin near his thumb but it was discoloured, distorted and a couple of centimetres round. A burn. Levi thought he blacked out with rage for a second. That fucker had burned him?!

"This happened 3 years ago when I accidentally interrupted a meeting. I didn't know they had moved to the Library- I thought I was safe there. He told me to leave but he found me later and dragged me to his office. He had a fresh pot of tea- boiling hot. I had to say I spilt tea on my hand later. It took a long time to heal over. But mostly he yelled and threw punches or kicks, sometimes like with the tea he got creative. It was a nightmare, Levi. I never felt safe in my own home. No matter what I did he came after me- it was only in the month before we married did he calm down... I had finally done something to please him. He almost returned to normal- it was so strange for me to see. Until the day we left..."

'The day you broke your arm and hurt your ribs' Levi seethed. That fucker was going to pay.

"He posted guards outside our door, had the maids check on us... he knew we didn't do anything. He had wanted confirmation we'd... we'd you know" Eren grimaced at the memory, tears still streaking down his face and in that moment Levi didn't want to ever let Eren out of his arms again. "I couldn't lie to him... he got angry- said I was useless, that there was no reason to trust I could do this... he was so angry... he j-just kept hitting me. I heard wh-when my bone broke... I was so helpless, I couldn't do anything to protect myself..." Eren's voice trailed off and he started sobbing again.

"Shh... shh" Levi soothed his hand rubbing over Eren's back and his lips pressing soft kisses over Eren's face.

"I only felt safe when I got here" Eren choked out "I have you with me, I made friends, I d-didn't have to look around every corner in fear- this place is my home now, my refuge. Please don't let him ruin it, Levi". He was pleading with Levi but he didn't need too, Levi was so deep by now that anyone who even  _thought_  about hurting Eren would regret it but someone who actually accomplished it. They would know hell.

Levi moved his hands to Eren's face and tilted it up to his own, he pressed a soft kissed to Eren's lips and met his gaze fiercely "No one will ever take this place from you. Your father does not scare me, I will do everything in my power to protect you and keep you safe. He will never hurt you again".

Eren's crying slowed down and turned to broken sniffles. Levi kissed the tracks of his tears down his face and lifted Eren's hand up and gently kissed the scar there. Eren would never know pain again if he could do anything about it, Levi thought viciously.

"My father is very clever" Eren whispered sadly, fear lacing his voice "he always gets what he wants and if he's here, it's not for anything good. He knows what he's after and he doesn't stop until he gets it. He wants something from us, Levi. He wouldn't travel all this way just to check in. He needs something".

"Maybe so" Levi agreed "but there's nothing we can do at the moment. We'll get some rest and face this in the daylight. We have at least a day to prepare before he arrives- we can make some plans" Levi smiled softly and poked Eren gently on the cheek "I know how much you like plans".

Eren actually smiled- a tiny, fragile smile but it was there and Levi felt like he had won something.

"Alright, Levi, I trust you. Rest first and then we face the day" Eren said his voice a little firmer and more steady.

"Come on, brat" Levi said standing up and tightly grabbing Eren's hand as they stumbled tiredly, their muscles aching, back into their bed.

 

***

 

Breakfast was... interesting. The news of Eren's father hadn't broken yet but every eye in the mess hall followed Levi and Eren as they walked through. Eren's friends watched with smug faces and smirks as they noticed Eren's slower and more awkward pace, his bad hand loosely wrapped up in Levi's. The rest of the soldiers though, they just stared wide-eyed as they saw the rare smile that was now on Levi's face as he was whispering to his young husband. There was stunned shock around the room as they watched the two enter, holding hands, grab their food and then make their way to an empty table. Their seats were scooted a little closer together, their voices low and serious.

There was complete silence in the room as everyone just stared in shock until Hange and Erwin walked in, they immediately noticed Levi and Eren and walked quickly over to them to sit down opposite.

"You need to fucking leave this table" Levi growled at them, moving protectively closer to Eren. Eren looked tired and his eyes were rimmed red.

"We need to talk about this" Erwin said steadily, Hange nodding emphatically beside him. Levi turned to Eren, who nodded briefly and they both focused on Erwin.

"Why is he coming here?" Eren asked quietly.

"We're not sure, Eren" Hange said.

"We had no information at all he was on his way until last night" Erwin reported "He is travelling with a small retinue of advisers and personal assistants, he's on his way fast and should be here tomorrow morning even possibly tonight".

"Tonight?" Eren squeaked and Levi placed his hand comfortingly on Eren's thigh "You said we had a few days".

"After we spoke, Hange and I went over our intel again. He's travelling a lot faster than anticipated and if he keeps up this speed and doesn't stop to rest he'll be here for dinner tonight".

"Fuck, Erwin" Levi cursed.

"Levi, we don't have any time!" Eren panicked.

"It's fine, Eren, we have all day. We're going to be fine" Levi said soothingly.

"I've pulled you off training today, Levi, all of us will go to my office and discuss options. We need to try and understand why he's coming and what he's after- I'm sure we are all certain he's not just here to see his son" Erwin stated firmly, he stood up and walked briskly out of the room.

"I'm sorry this is happening Eren" Hange said, moving her hand to Eren's shoulder and patting it, "You have the best people in Trost working on a solution though so hang in there". Eren nodded and watched as Hange stood up as well and followed Erwin's exit. 

"Trust me, Eren, there is nothing he can do to us here. I'm sure there's nothing he can throw at us that we can't handle" Levi said calmly, Eren believed him and trusted him but he had his doubts. His father was vicious and was coming for them.

 

***

 

After an entire day spent brainstorming they still had no real leads. No one could come up with any plausible reason as to why King Grisha would be on his way to them so quickly and only a month after the wedding. They were sure there was nothing in the alliance that was worrying, they had heard no reports of uprising or rebellion against it and Eren and Levi themselves were getting along really well- King Grisha had no valid reason to visit Trost unless it  _was_  simply a social occasion. 

They got news at lunch time that the King's party would arrive at 9:00 pm that night, they would hold a private dinner with the King, hopefully be made aware of his reasons and then organise their schedule for the next day.

For Eren, the afternoon went past too quickly. One minute they were eating lunch and discussing plans and the next they were waiting in the courtyard for his father to show up. Levi held tightly to his hand both for support and comfort and Eren was so grateful his husband was there beside him, he knew Levi would do his best to protect him from his father.

They were only outside for 10 minutes before they heard the steady drum of hoof-beats approaching. Eren tensed up, his breathing growing shallow but Levi squeezed his hand and rubbed a gentle circle into Eren's palm with his thumb. Eren breathed a little steadier but couldn't relax. He hadn't seen his father in a month and the last time they were together the man broke his wrist. Memories flooded him and he started to panic again as his father's horse became visible.

"Eren, breathe" Levi whispered trying to calm Eren down.

Eight horses stopped in front of them and the man at the head of the charge dismounted and approached. King Grisha was here.

Erwin stepped forward and held out a hand in greeting, Grisha gripped his firmly.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Your Highness" Erwin said politely.

"The pleasures mine, Commander" Grisha said "I apologise for the unexpected visit but I have some business to discuss with you. Well, with my son and Captain Levi, as well".

And then Grisha's gaze found his son and he smiled coldly. "No hello for your father, son?" Grisha asked lightly but Eren shivered. 

"Good evening, father. I'm glad you came to all the trouble to visit us here" Eren said automatically, years of pretending coming to the rescue.

"I hope I find you well?" Grisha asked but it to Eren it all sounded like formalities- his father did not really care.

"Very well, thank you. Marriage is treating me well" Eren said in the same false voice he used before.

"Ah, that's excellent. Captain Levi, it's wonderful to see you again" Grisha said extending his hand for Levi to shake, Levi only hesitated for a moment before stretching his hand out to meet the King's.

"And you as well" Levi forced out, silently raging at the man who had hurt Eren. It was taking all of his strength not to throw this man to the ground and beat the living shit out of him. Grisha's eyes narrowed at the tone of Levi's voice but he smiled that fake smile and moved on.

"Let's talk more over dinner" Grisha called out. Erwin led a smaller party all the way inside and up to a small room where they held small formal events like dinners. It was only Eren, Levi, Erwin, Hange, Grisha and Nile Dok now seated around a small table as the food was served- everyone else was led to the mess hall. Eren couldn't touch his food, could only fidget nervously as his father made himself comfortable, starting in on conversation right away.

"I hope you're enjoying Trost, son, the weather here I take it is not to your liking" Grisha said conversationally. Eren blinked, he didn't know his father had known about his love for the sun.

"I'm liking Trost just fine, the sun is not as good but the people are kind" Eren said tensely.

"That's good, you'll be here for a long time so it's good you have come to appreciate this place" Grisha was speaking eloquently- like any father catching up with their son.

"Your Highness, as much as we enjoy having you, we are all curious as to the reason" Levi said tersely not being able to stand the polite niceties anymore.

"Straight to business, Captain?" Grisha teased but his voice was lined with annoyance at the forwardness.

"Yes, sir" Levi all but growled "we are very interested in your decision to travel all the way to Trost, surely a messenger would have been easier?".

"No, this matter is delicate and very important, it required me to speak about it in person" Grisha replied, his calm exterior back up "I think it should wait until after we eat, a couple of drinks may be necessary".

Levi was fuming, this man was playing him. He was going to wait until he wanted too and then drop the information on them when he chose. Dinner continued with polite yet stilted conversation. Neither Levi nor Eren spoke again, letting the other four do all the talking- they were waiting and they couldn't concentrate on the conversation at hand.

Dinner was soon concluded and tensions were running high as they waited for Grisha to speak. Eren's hand was clutched tightly in Levi's under the table. Levi was glaring at Grisha's face. Erwin and Hange had twin poker faces. Nile Dok looked resigned and a little defeated. Grisha was in his element, a small smug smile playing at his lips as he took a sip from his glass of wine.

He swallowed and after a moment he spoke clearly "I suppose I should explain my sudden visit. My daughter, Mikasa, came to me last week to inform and discuss with me some personal information she has come to a decision on".

Eren blinked in shock, whatever he had been expecting it had not involved Mikasa.

"She told me quite plainly that she would not agree to an arranged marriage for at least the next five years as she wants to focus on learning more about her Kingdom and her future reign as Queen" Grisha continued in that same conceited tone. Eren was in shock 'what the fuck was his father getting at?'

"After some negotiations I agreed that I would not consider a marriage for her until she turned 27 which in turn means that she will not produce any children until after that as well".

Eren glanced at Levi, both utterly confused as to where this was going but Erwin had started to comprehend the situation. 'Levi is not going to like this' Erwin thought.

"My heir not marrying and having children of her own anytime soon does raise a few issues for Maria. If I were to die my line would end with my two children, one of whom lives in another Kingdom and the other who does not wish to marry. It is a tricky situation but my advisers and I came up with a solution".

Levi was catching on now and his anger was growing 'That fucker better not say what I think he's about too' Levi thought viciously.

"We came to the conclusion that we need to continue the royal bloodline whether through my son or daughter is not particularly relevant. Our idea is actually better than Mikasa having a child, it would provide security for our throne, give Mikasa more time and it would strengthen our relationship and alliance with Trost".

Eren's mouth dropped open. They had not expected this. Don't say it. Please, don't say it.

"Son, we need you to have a child" Grisha finished, taking a satisfied sip of wine and watching the reactions around the table.

"Fuck no" Levi growled directly at Grisha, who raised his eyebrows in interest.

"Listen to our proposition, Levi, it is actually a well thought out idea and would benefit both Kingdoms" Nile tried to reason.

"We're talking about a fucking child" Levi snarled at the King "neither Eren nor I are prepared for that".

"It's actually not a bad idea" Erwin chimed in and Levi glared at him, his eyes shooting daggers at his Commander, "at least hear them out before you turn it down completely".

"No. A child is not an option" Levi thundered "If or when Eren and I decide to have children, it will be entirely our decision. Not a solution to a problem".

"Levi" Hange said next to him and lowered her voice so only Levi could hear "You were adamant about not going through with the marriage as well but you wouldn't leave Eren for the world now. A child would be the same, I know it".

"Damn it, Hange" Levi said "That is not a valid reason to bring a child into the world".

"Not to mention we have only been married a month, we've never even discussed children" Levi snapped and looked over to Eren who was half panicked and half frozen in shock at the turn of events.

"You'd better start discussing it because it's happening" Grisha said finally. 

"You cannot force us into this" Levi snarled and then Grisha smiled. A creepy, cold smile which made Levi stop. This man still had an ace to play.

"I can actually" he said calmly "You both agreed to it".

"I think I would remember agreeing to this" Levi growled.

"Well, you may not have read through the contracts entirely then. Your marriage agreement for this alliance clearly states that you will be required to have children. Well, technically my son is required to have a child and continue his bloodline but as his husband it is your child as well, I guess" Grisha finished the smile still in place.

Fuck, Levi thought, Erwin said he went through it and everything was in order. Why hadn't Erwin mentioned this?

"I'm sorry Levi, I thought it wouldn't be an issue. Plus it was another reason for you to be against the marriage" Erwin said, rubbing his temples. "It never stated a time limit or indicated in any way it could be forcedly actioned on you".

"Yes, that's true Commander, but in the case of an emergency the King may action any part of the alliance necessary to keep peace and stability" Grisha replied.

"Emergency? There is no fucking emergency! You have two live and very healthy heirs who can rule if anything happens!" Levi yelled.

"Hmm, do I, Captain? The way I see it I have one heir married to the Captain of Trost military and living on a Trost military base far away fro Maria and the other is refusing marriage and children, which is not a good option for a future Queen" Grisha explained easily.

Levi was ready to kick the table over or the King, whichever he reached first, "You're manipulating your own daughters wishes to get what you want?" Levi said, low and dangerous. Grisha just smile slowly at him.

"You can't do this" Levi threatened.

"What's stopping me?" Grisha replied smoothly, Eren was right, this man always got what he wanted.

"Biology for one" Levi snapped "if you hadn't noticed it's not exactly possible for Eren and I to have a kid". That only made Grisha chuckle.

"That's not an issue. My late wife was the organiser of a rather innovative organisation which helps in these situations" Grisha explained and Levi knew he couldn't win. Grisha held all the cards in this game.

"What type of organisation?" Levi asked tensely but it wasn't Grisha who answered.

"She ran a surrogacy agency" Eren answered quietly still frozen in his chair.

"Surrogacy?" Levi enquired only ever having heard that word in passing.

"It's an agency which gives young women a second chance, they are paid to get pregnant, give birth and give the child over to the parents. It's actually an amazing process, my mum was really clever. These women are heavily vetted and then paid a large amount so that after they give birth they are able to start over somewhere new, they give people the chance to have children who usually would not be able too. Couples like us" Eren explained gently as everyone in the room watched.

"That doesn't sound right" Levi worried his voice now directed at Eren who was shaking his head.

"It's perfectly safe, I promise, I helped my mum out a lot with it. The women are really kind and none of them are forced to do it but it creates another option for women who might not have one. Illegitimate daughters to high society with no prospects, orphans with nowhere to go, women who would end up on the street or worse. They are looked after during the whole process, they are housed and cared for even after they give birth. They have options afterwards when they have money, they have help from the agency and all of them have led healthy lives after" Eren said a little defensively, he obviously thought very highly of the program.

"But don't the mothers want to keep their kids?" Levi asked genuinely curious. 

"Some do but they are required to sign away all of their rights to the child to the parents before they are even pregnant. They all go in knowing exactly what will happen, I'm not saying it's doesn't hurt but they are fully aware of the process" Eren answered.

"My son is correct, it has been a very effective program for 20 years now and will continue to be just as impressive. In saying that, I have already made agreements and your surrogate will be arriving next week" Grisha dropped in their conversation and everyone turned to stare at him.

"What?" Eren cried in panic the same time Levi yelled "Fuck no!"

"Their party was following five days after ours, expect them here by next Friday" Grisha said with finality, he stood up and walked to the door, turning back to say " I expect we'll be discussing this more in the morning?"

Erwin nodded sharply in answer and then Grisha was gone. 


	20. Bad Blood

The room was silent for all of two seconds after Grisha walked out.

"Fucking hell!" Levi cursed, slamming his fist on the table, "He can't do this. He doesn't even have any power in Trost, what the fuck is he thinking?!"

"I can't have a kid" Eren panicked at the same time "I'm only 21, I'm not fucking ready for this!" They were both completely freaking out, voices and curses mixing together.

"I'll fucking kill him" Levi growled "how can that asshole think we'll agree to this!"

"I don't know how to look after a kid!" Eren cried "I'd drop it or break it or..." Eren started to hyperventilate and caught Levi's attention, he immediately focused on his husband.

"We won't be forced into this, Eren. He can't make us do anything" Levi tried to calm him down, his voice seemed to do the trick and Eren peeked up at him and steadied his breathing.

"I'm afraid your wrong there, Captain" Nile Dok said tensely. "The King has gone over this extensively and I'm afraid he can force it, if you don't agree he has mentioned that he can declare that Trost is not holding to their agreement, that they are not honouring this alliance, and that will nullify the whole thing. The King could then call for war again and Prince Eren and yourself would be caught in the middle".

They were all in shock. Would Grisha really go that far?

"He wouldn't" Hange said startled "He was the one who brought this alliance to us, he wouldn't throw it away for this!"

"I'm not sure on that but I believe he's just betting that Levi and Eren will choose to bend to his will rather than risk calling him out. Grisha will look a lot better than them if it comes to that- Levi and Eren would have brought war to two suffering countries simply because they refused to have a child. It would be very bad for both of them. He expects them to simply agree and let him win" Nile explained.

"Are you fucking serious? He's willing to gamble on war and end this alliance just to get what he wants?" Levi snarled.

"He's playing with us" Eren said quietly and Levi turned to him, "He's playing with me. This is all just a game to him".

"I believe Eren may be right" Erwin agreed "but it doesn't change the fact that he is serious on following through- no matter what".

"What do we do then?" Levi asked tensely.

"I think you may have to play along" Nile said.

"No!" Levi snapped "playing along means having a child we are not ready for, for fucks sake we've only been married a month".

"True" Nile answered "but a lot of couples would be expecting a child by now, even if it were an arranged marriage. It is not unusual to have a child straight away".

"It's true" Hange said softly and Levi glared at her "I'm not saying it's right- for them or for you- but it happens. I don't think there's a way out of this. I think you may have to get used to the idea".

"He plays a very good game" Erwin stated "He only follows through on something he can win".

"Then we'll have to find a way to beat him" Levi growled, he looked over at Eren who was still stricken with panic. He had to get him out of here. "Can you three please discuss some options- Eren and I need to leave and talk this over alone".

"Very well" Erwin said "Take your time tonight but we'll meet after breakfast tomorrow to discuss. We'll have to meet with the King at some point as well and let him know your decision".

Levi nodded sharply and placed his hand under Eren's elbow to help him up and lead the shell-shocked young man out of the room. They walked to their rooms in silence both overwhelmed with what had happened- it did give each of them a chance to process, though.

They sat on their lounge still stunned and it was a few minutes before Eren spoke up "Can he really do this?"

Levi shook his head in disbelief "I'm not sure, Eren. Everyone seems to think so".

"I don't know if I'm ready to have a kid" Eren whispered "I always thought someday, but this- this is too soon".

"I know. I'm so sorry, Eren, I promised I would protect you" Levi said, his voice thick with emotion, he had one job and he had failed so quickly.

"This isn't your fault, Levi" Eren comforted, moving closer and gripping Levi's hand "this is what he does, he manipulates you and forces your hand".

Levi exhaled a deep breath and looked up at Eren "We need to figure out what we're going to do now".

Eren nodded slowly, took a calming breath and said softly "I think maybe we separate the issues".

"What do you mean?" Levi asked genuinely confused.

"Well, maybe first of all we talk about kids? We've never mentioned it before because obviously it was too soon but I think we need to talk about it now" Eren said slowly.

"We discuss kids? Without any other facts?" Levi questioned.

"Maybe? We can just talk about it like we would have eventually. With no war or alliances as consequence. Just talk about what we want" Eren offered softly.

"We can do that" Levi agreed "we'll sort the rest out after. We figure out what we want first without considering your father".

Eren nodded but looked hesitant. Neither of them actually knew where to start.

"Do- do you even want a child?" Eren asked quietly after a few minutes of silence. 

Levi looked at their joined hands. Did he want a child? He had never asked himself that before- it had never really been an option. But what about with Eren? What if he answered wrong and Eren hated him? Truth, he thought, they had promised each other honesty. "I'm honestly not sure" Levi answered his voice steady "It's never been an option before. I think I figured that it would be something that I would think about later".

Eren nodded in agreement and didn't let go of Levi's hand. He hadn't fucked up his answer, Levi thought with relief.

"I'm the same. Well, similar. I do want kids, I think I've always liked the idea of them but it was a reality that was so far away. I was too busy thinking about an arranged marriage to even spare a thought about a child". Eren huffed out a small laugh then and Levi smiled slowly in return. They weren't really happy smiles but more a reaction to how fucked up their situation was.

"I think having a kid with you wouldn't be so bad" Levi offered suddenly, making Eren raise an eyebrow and snort out a laugh. "No, fuck, I meant if it happened I'd be OK if it was with you".

Eren blushed deeply at the confession and answered softly "Me too, I think it would be OK if it was with you". They shared a small moment of peace before their doubts thumped back in and the smiles slid off their faces.

"We're so fucked" Levi said and Eren nodded his agreement.

"Wait, what if we could stall?" Levi said quickly and Eren looked at him questioningly. "OK so in theory  _if_ we agreed, and that's a big if, we could make it so it wasn't straight away".

"You think so? You think we might be able to negotiate for time?" Eren joined in his voice a little more upbeat.

"Say we'll agree but not for a year or two and then it will take about nine months after that to actually have the child" Levi said hopefully.

"I don't think he'll go for that long, I think we'd be lucky to get another month out of him" Eren sighed.

"What about a year? One year to organise and prepare for a child" Levi tried but Eren shook his head.

"He won't go for that either, he'll say we can prepare in the nine months it'll take to have the kid" Eren said dully.

"Well, if we say a year and hope for a month maybe we might get that? Anything is better than straight away. Your father might humour us and negotiate a little" Levi said.

"He does think this is a game so if we play a little I think he would do that" Eren answered with hope. "The woman will arrive with a Doctor from the agency as well, I may know them, we could talk to them, plead our case".

"We could get them to pretend, maybe not even try?" Levi said.

"It wouldn't last too long, my Father would send another girl within a month or two if nothing happened, he would catch on to that" Eren said honestly.

"Alright but it gives us a little more time. We can play the game as well. If we do it right it won't look like we're even trying to play" Levi said his voice deepening at the idea of winning one over on the King.

Eren sighed deeply though "It still remains that we have a child at the end, I'm not opposed to that idea anymore but I don't like the fact that it was my father's decision and not ours. I don't like that our child would have been born because my father wanted to play with our lives".

Levi scowled at that idea "No, Eren. If we have a child it will be because we want too. The consequences can get fucked, your father can go fuck himself. We will not be forced into this".

"I know I said we wouldn't bring it up but war is the consequence. I think my father might actually go through with it if we don't agree. He's too unbalanced" Eren whispered sadly. "We would be the reason people die and both of us  _would_  be caught right in the middle with both countries hating us. I don't ever want to be the reason someone gets hurt".

Levi nodded thoughtfully, keeping Eren's hand firmly in his own, an idea forming. A crazy, stupid idea but it might work.

"OK then" Levi said firmly and Eren glanced over to meet his eyes. Levi met his steadily, confidence and surety pouring out of him and a small smile tugging at his lips. "Eren Yeager, I love you".

Eren sucked in a breath shocked, they had said it before but it was in a post-sex sleep haze, this was real and Levi was serious.

"Eren, I know it's too soon, that we've only known each other a month but that month has been the best part of my life. You make me happy in a way that's almost ridiculous. You're smart and funny and pretty fucking goofy, you make elaborate plans to get me into bed when really all you have to do is ask" Levi paused to smile genuinely at the memory and Eren blushed crimson. "I actually like being with you all the time and at this point I couldn't imagine my life without you in it. I would be honoured if you would maybe consider the idea of having a child with me?"

It was the most embarrassing and corny little speech Eren had ever heard but he was smiling widely. In the back of his mind he knew what was at stake and that they were in all honesty deceiving themselves a little but Eren couldn't find it in himself to care. Levi had taken his breath away. Levi had said he loved him.

"I love you too, Levi" Eren whispered softly and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. It was brief but they had desperately needed the contact, the reassurance they were in this together. They weren't alone. When Eren pulled back a little his voice came out breathy and quiet "OK".

"OK?" Levi asked his voice hitching. 

"Yes, I will definitely maybe consider the idea of having a child with you" Eren repeated teasingly and Levi sighed happily. If Eren was teasing him then everything would be OK.

" _Just_  consider it?" Levi teased back lightly.

"Well, it  _would_  be fun to see you trying to calm down a tiny little version of me" Eren giggled. Levi furrowed his eyebrows, he hadn't thought about it like that, fuck their child was going to be a handful. But then again, the thought of a tiny little person with Eren's eyes and smile running around their home wasn't such a bad idea. It was actually kind of nice.

"I'm sure I could handle it" Levi said firmly.

"I don't know, I was pretty hyperactive as a kid, very accident prone" Eren laughed. Their conversation had turned so far away from what it was initially that both of them had completely forgotten that it was brought on by Grisha. They were getting used to the idea, having fun with it, enjoying the moment.

"Hmm, I just want to see you change a diaper" Levi taunted making Eren stop.

"Ugh, no. I think I'll leave that one to you" Eren replied lightly.

"Well, we could just not dress it and let it shit everywhere" Levi offered sarcastically making Eren burst out laughing.

"Oh that would be interesting. Maybe we could trick Hange into thinking it's a very important experiment and she needs to change all of the diapers to really understand the process" Eren said happily.

"That could actually work but it would require Hange to actually be around all the time. I'm not sure I'm prepared for Hange at all hours" Levi said and Eren agreed.

"What if we get the recruits to do it in shifts? Tell them it's a very serious part of training and if they don't participate they'll fail?" Eren continued.

"I could actually do that" Levi said his voice serious but his tone still light. He took a breath and looked at his husband's happy, relaxed face. They could do this. It was way too fucking soon but they could manage. "We're really doing this?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, I think we are" Eren answered seriously "We should definitely try for as much time as we can get. I think we'll need it".

"I agree. We're actually doing this" Levi agreed and squeezed Eren's hand in reassurance "but your father is not getting away that easily. I think we'll make up some conditions first".

 

***

 

They stayed up for hours discussing options and agreeing on conditions. They were going to do this but they were not going to let Grisha win, they would get as much out of him as possible. Levi was desperate to punish the man for everything he'd put his son through. They went to the meeting with Hange, Erwin and Nile after breakfast and discussed all of their ideas and the decisions that Eren and Levi had made.

The other three shared there own and while Levi was a little hesitant to trust the King's advisor his input was sound and he had an edge on everyone else as to how the King worked. Eren knew first hand what his father was like personally but Nile knew him professionally and could put forward information that would help them to pull one over on him

At 1:00 pm King Grisha was brought into their meeting room. They had had a small break for lunch but now Levi, Eren, Erwin, Hange and Nile were sitting down solemnly prepared for battle. If it all worked out how they wanted then Grisha would not be leaving a happy man.

"Your Highness, thank you for joining us" Erwin greeted extending his hand for Grisha to shake. Grisha then took his seat at the table and looked around at all of the faces.

"Not at all, I hope you have come to a decision" Grisha said his voice laced with satisfaction, he was enjoying watching them squirm. 

"Of course, Your Highness, you left us very few options" Levi said not even trying to keep the snark and anger out of his voice.

"Then I am to believe you agree?" Grisha asked, smiling that cruel smile.

"Yes, we do, but we have a few terms to discuss first" Levi said his voice low. Grisha wasn't phased, in fact, he delighted in a little resistance.

"Of course you do, please, go ahead, Captain" Grisha replied gesturing easily for Levi to continue.

"We would like time" Levi said, his gaze steady on the Kings "At least a year to prepare".

Grisha, however, shook his head that smile still in place "No, that I cannot agree too. I can give you two weeks".

"Six months, your Highness" Erwin offered taking over but Grisha only looked amused.

"One month" Grisha countered, Levi had to hide his surprise- the King had agreed so easily to a month? Maybe now they could get more.

"We need at least four months" Levi said angrily but inside he was excited, their plan was working.

"I'll give you two months but that's final" Grisha stated firmly and everyone else present nodded in agreement. They had managed to get two months out of him, two more months before their lives changed. Levi was almost certain now the change wouldn't be bad but it was a change and any alone time he could scrape with Eren before that he would cling too.

"Any other terms?" Grisha asked lazily, he seemed so content to sit there and watch everything play out.

"Four more" Levi stated and Grisha met his angry gaze with a smile, that smile said he was ready to play. Levi was ready to smack it off his face.

"Alright, what are they?" Grisha asked expecting only a small show of resistance.

"First of all, this child and any other child of ours will grow up and be raised in Trost by us. We will have no interference in our child's life by anyone unless we agree to it" Levi said firmly and Grisha raised an eyebrow curiously, this was getting interesting.

"I'm not sure I can agree to that, if this child becomes King or Queen they will have no idea about the country they are ruling" Grisha argued soundly "I think it should be raised for half its time here and half in Maria, learning about it's culture and the throne it may receive".

"No. We will not agree to that" Levi growled "We all know that this child will not inherit the throne. The most we can do is one month a year where either Eren or I, or both of us will come with our child and stay. Eren knows Maria very well and can teach our child anything they need to know from here".

Levi watched as Grisha's jaw tensed "Fine. One month a year- excluding travel time- where you will stay in Maria" he gritted out and Levi had to try hard not to smile- they weren't done yet.

"The second condition will be that Princess Mikasa will visit four times a year with us here in order to spend time with Eren and get to know her niece or nephew" Levi continued.

"She cannot do four time a year, she is busy with her life and her training. I can offer twice a year plus the time Eren will come to us" Grisha countered his voice losing the teasing edge and the smile now completely gone. They were irritating him. Levi had to grab Eren's hand under the table to stop the brunette from smiling. Eren had been worried his father would completely dismiss this condition but now he would be able to see his sister 3 times a year more than usual. Plus they had specifically not mentioned a time frame for the visits to give them some leeway.

"Thirdly, we will amend the alliance so that we are never in this position again. We will go over every word on that document together so that we all know what we're agreeing too from now on" Levi said and Grisha gritted his teeth, he hadn't expected them to be so thorough.

"Fine" he ground out, "anything else?"

"Yes, one more thing, Your Highness" Levi said unable able to keep the smirk off his face "Our last condition is a deal breaker. If you cannot agree to it then Eren and I are prepared to face the consequences of that".

"What is it?" Grisha spat out, he was fuming, how dare they think they can play him?

"You will agree to never contact or communicate with our child or any future children we have. You will have no influence over them, you will never see them or speak to them, you will not ever try and contact them for the rest of your life" Levi snarled out, his eyes narrowed and his voice threatening.

"You can't be serious?" Grisha snapped "How do you expect to enforce that?"

"Eren and I have decided that we are willing to have a child but for that to happen you will never be in their life. You will have another heir but no grandchild. If you refuse, this conversation is over and we will deal with what happens next" Levi stood up and leaned over the table to get right up in Grisha's face, his anger pouring out with each word "If you agree and then break the deal, or any conditions we have set, Eren has said that he will forfeit any claim he has to the throne and to Maria itself. Disinheriting himself and any of our children who might be able to succeed you, none of us want this but Eren has said he's willing too as a last resort and we will follow through if you break our agreement".

Grisha was furious, his eyes narrowed and focused angrily on his son "Why should I believe you would do such a thing, it's ridiculous".

"Maybe to you" Eren spoke up, his voice trembling "but no child of mine will ever know you, Father, no matter the consequences".

Grisha snarled but before he could talk Levi spoke calmly but his voice was filled with rage "I would agree to this, Your Highness, otherwise you'll be left with only one heir who you have already signed an agreement which says you will not force a marriage or children on her for five years. You will be weakened, and you will have to pray that you survive those five years knowing you only have one legitimate heir to your throne. Are you willing to risk that?"

"Fuck you" Grisha growled angrily at both Eren and Levi.

"My sentiments exactly, Your Highness" Levi snarled back just as angry.

There was a moment of tense silence before Grisha nodded stiffly and Levi sat back down in his chair reaching for Eren's hand again and squeezing in silent celebration. Levi had managed to get Grisha out of Eren's life for the most part, if Eren had their child with him he was untouchable.

"Shall we sign some papers?" Nile said awkwardly.

The next four hours were spent tediously going through every inch of wording, writing up documents and signing new agreements. There were three copies of each form, one for Maria, one for Trost and the last for public record. Levi was so thorough with each word that it took an hour more than it should have but he wouldn't be conned by this man again.

Finally after hours of tense and sometimes outright angry discussion they were finished and Nile was collecting his set of forms while Erwin collected the others. Grisha had stood up quickly and furiously turned away from the table, Levi watched him go trying to restrain him, he couldn't do it. Angry thoughts kept flooding his mind, they had won he knew they had, but Grisha deserved pain for everything he had done to Eren.

Levi's fist clenched and before he knew it he propelled himself over the table to slam Grisha into the wall, before Grisha could do more than look startled, Levi had pulled his fist back and hurled it at Grisha's face. His knuckles hit solidly and with so much force on Grisha's face that everyone in the room winced as they heard his jaw crack. They didn't call Levi humanities strongest for nothing.

Levi then pressed in real close and whispered so only Grisha could hear "That was for everything you have ever done to Eren, it will never be enough, nothing but me killing you in the most painful way possible will ever be enough. Watch yourself, Your Highness, you won't ever win when you play with me".

Grisha's eyes narrowed and Levi swore he saw panic rimmed with terror. Perfect. He thought Grisha may just be regretting his actions, his role in bringing Levi and Eren together, and now without realising it he had made them stronger and banished himself from there life in one go. 

"I want you to leave Trost, you're business is done, we will inform you when we expect the child. Don't expect any more than that" Levi spat and Grisha locked that furious look over the panic and left the room. They heard his loud footsteps echoing down the hall.

"You shouldn't have done that, Levi" Erwin chastised.

"He deserved it" Levi replied harshly.

"I didn't say he didn't deserve it" Erwin said an almost satisfied look crossing his face, if Levi were guessing he would say that Erwin had very much enjoyed watching Grisha in pain. The tension broke and their were smiles around the room, their situation wasn't ideal but it wasn't bad. No one in that room could ever believe a child could be bad.

"We did it, Levi" Eren whispered in awe "He won't be able to interfere in our child's life- we won't ever have to worry about that".

Levi smiled and walked straight up to Eren, he bent down to kiss him firmly on the lips and then said quietly "So it'll be just us screwing our kid up?"

"Only us" Eren agreed smiling against Levi's lips. They heard a cough from the other side of the table. "OK, Hange's going to mess the kid up as well".

"Aunt Hange will be the greatest thing to ever happen in this kids life!" Hange exclaimed excitedly.

"Who said you were going to be an aunt?" Levi said looking at her, his voice serious but Eren could tell he was messing with her.

"I'm not going to be an aunt? Please, try and stop me" Hange dared but she sounded hesitant.

"You'll have to take diaper duty at least once a day" Levi taunted. "And I think we'll want one night a week to ourselves after awhile".

"I'll do it!" Hange agreed.

Levi looked at Eren and they both laughed "You're way to easy, Hange" Levi said smugly and Hange frowned realising she'd been tricked into changing diapers for them.

"You're in for it now, Aunt Hange" Eren joined in teasing her with Levi.

"Whatever, I'm going to be an aunt!" Hange crowed and Levi and Eren decided to escape. They walked slowly basking in their success. No more Grisha for awhile. They had effectively insured their kid would never be hurt by the man and had beaten him at his own game.

"We're going to be fathers" Eren whispered suddenly and looked over at Levi in panic "responsible for another human life".

"We're going to be fine" Levi said calmly and believed it too, if Eren were with him they would be fine. "We've got a few months to play with".

"That's true. I wonder what this woman is like that they're sending. I hope she's nice" Eren though out loud.

"If she's not we'll send her back and ask for someone else. This baby will have pieces of her too" Levi said surely.

Eren looked at him a question rising to his mouth "Does it bother you?"

"What's that" Levi asked.

"That the child won't be a part of you but of a stranger?" Eren whispered. They hadn't talked about this part yet but Levi found himself not really caring.

"It will be a part of you and that's all that matters" Levi confirmed knowing it was right.

"Maybe if we decide to have another later on, it can be yours?" Eren suggested nervously. Levi shrugged, he really wouldn't mind if they all looked like Eren. 

"I think I'd like a little girl with you nose and those grey eyes" Eren pondered quietly and Levi wasn't sure he was meant to hear it but it warmed his heart at the thought.

"Well, if you insist" Levi nudged him gently and Eren blushed only just realising Levi had heard his wish. "I think I wouldn't mind adopting though if we do decide to have more in the future. One is more than enough for now".

"Yeah, adoption is a great idea" Eren agreed "but for now I really need us to go back to our room. You have the rest of the day off right?"

"I do" Levi agreed knowing exactly where Eren's sly grin was leading.

"Come on then, I need to relieve some stress" Eren teased pulling on Levi's hand a little stronger. Levi snorted out a laugh.

"As long as we skip any meals with your father I'm happy to be whatever you need".

Finally their day was coming to an end, no more Grisha for awhile, only them alone in their bed- relieving the stress.

 


	21. I Turn To You

"We're going to have to convert the spare room into a nursery" Eren whispered as they lay in bed the next morning, they were still tangled together from sleep and their voices were thick and unused.

"We're going to need a lot of stuff too" Levi replied, his breath tickling Eren's nose.

"We could throw a party before it arrives and see how much stuff we can get, we won't have to do much shopping that way" Eren said softly, Levi carded his hand through Eren's hair.

"That's an excellent idea. I don't even know what a baby needs" Levi told him and Eren giggled.

"Me either. I was hoping you knew".

"Maybe Petra will know?" Levi asked hopefully.

"Because she's a woman?" Eren said poking Levi in the side.

"Ah, no. She just know things and well... maybe a little bit?" Levi hedged making Eren laugh again.

"You know Hange's practically going to force her way into helping" Eren said gently, curling in on Levi trying to keep the warmth between them.

"I'm actually not really against that for once" Levi sighed.

"What if it's a girl? I don't know anything about girls" Eren asked nervously.

"We can always give it back and ask for a different one" Levi teased and Eren giggled softly. "We'll manage either way, I honestly don't know shit about boys either".

"Fuck, are we going to have to stop swearing in front of the kid?" Eren groaned, already picturing their kids first word being 'fuck' or 'shit'.

"That's going to be fucking difficult" Levi sighed.

"Names, Levi, we have to think up names" Eren groaned again snuggling right against Levi's body, trying to hide.

"Fuck, it never ends" Levi mumbled, curling his arm around Eren to keep him close. "Eren?"

"Hmm?" Eren whispered.

"You said you helped out a bit with your mum with this whole surrogacy agency?" Levi started and he felt Eren nod his head against him. "I still don't know exactly how it works, you're not going to sleep with her right?"

Eren sat up quickly to look at Levi seriously "No, of course not. I don't actually ever need to have contact with her".

"Then how?" Levi questioned sitting up himself, his back against the bedhead.

"It's a medical procedure. The, ah, short version is that I'll have to give them some of my, um... stuff" Eren choked out embarrassed and Levi smirked. "The doctor then inserts it inside the woman and we wait for two weeks for confirmation".

"And that works?" Levi asked his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, it's pretty successful, it might take a few tries but it definitely works" Eren nodded seriously.

"Alright, as long as there's no sex. I may have had to go back on our deal if there was" Levi said firmly, making Eren grin.

"Don't want me sleeping with anyone else, huh?" Eren teased, poking Levi's cheek gently. Levi looked into Eren's beautiful green eyes, happy and bright, smiled, and then pounced. Eren squealed as Levi tackled him gently backwards pinning him to the mattress.

"Never. You're mine, Eren Yeager" Levi growled against Eren's throat making him whimper. But apparently Eren wasn't one to back down.

"Prove it" Eren taunted and smiled wickedly.

Eren watched as Levi's face transformed at the dare, he gathered Eren's hand carefully in one of his own, still minding his wrist, and held them firmly over Eren's head. Levi was now hovering over Eren's body, stretched out underneath him with Eren's hand's restrained and his own free hand tracing it's way slowly down Eren's body. They hadn't bothered to get dressed after last night so Eren was still very naked making Levi's smile grow wider.

Levi's hand momentarily left Eren's body to grab the still open but rather empty bottle of oils on the bedside table, his eyes still locked on Eren's he emptied the remaining liquid straight onto his cock and discarded the bottle. Eren let out a little moan as he watched Levi massage the oil onto his hard length with his hand and extend his slick fingers towards Eren's ass. A finger dipped in quickly and Eren hissed at the pressure, Levi went slowly at first letting Eren get accustomed to the feeling and then pressed in a second finger, making Eren arch of the bed a little as the sensations rocked his body again.

Levi was quick opening Eren up and soon enough he removed his fingers,eased Eren's leg further apart and positioned himself close. Levi looked briefly at Eren waiting for his nod to go further, when he got it Levi pressed his cock in slowly. Listening to Eren's deep groan, Levi thrust in until he was buried to the hilt, he paused for a moment to let them both take a breath but soon he was moving, in and out.

Levi began thrusting in deeply, Eren was cursing and moaning in pleasure his hands still locked over his hand. Levi pulled out almost to the tip and went back in hard, burying himself in Eren again. Eren shuddered and groaned low and throaty as Levi hit his prostate, Levi leaned forward to kiss him fiercely on the lips. Eren replied with fervour opening Levi's mouth with his tongue and forcing himself inside. They stayed like that for a few moments, kissing intensely with Eren so completely full of Levi and just hoping they could stay this way all day.

Levi pulled back a little and smirked, he lifted himself up and began thrusting in earnest, rocking Eren's body and pulling wanton noises from the brunette. Levi was breathing deeply, coming undone from the feeling and by watching Eren's face. He was flushed and biting his lip a little, his green eyes were half open and hooded as he stared at Levi, this beautiful creature in front of him was all his.

They released together, Eren shouting out Levi's name and Levi coming buried inside his husband. Levi fell forward and pulled out, he let Eren's hands go and began to kiss the brunette lazily, marking up his neck and chest.

"I love you, Levi" Eren whispered his hand finally reaching forward to card its way through Levi's silky black hair. He pulled Levi's face up to his to kiss him properly and Levi moved willingly, his tongue stroking lazy circles into Eren's mouth. It was comfortable and easy between them, they knew it was strange that after so little time they would connect so well but it had happened and they were just going to go with it. 

"Shower?" Levi asked finally pulling his lips away from Eren's soft skin.

"Do we have time before breakfast?" Eren asked softly.

"We'll make time, we don't want to go down like this" Levi snorted making Eren look at their sweaty mess of bodies.

"Yeah, probably not. We don't want everyone to die of shock" Eren laughed, lifting himself of the mattress and grabbing Levi's hand to pull them slowly towards the bathroom.

"We probably don't have enough time for two separate showers though" Levi said lightly.

"Guess we'll just have to share" Eren sighed stepping into the shower while Levi fiddled with the taps. Hot water sprayed over their aching bodies while Eren pulled Levi over pressing his chest against the raven's back. He wrapped his arms around Levi while the older man huffed a little at their position. Eren just laughed and grabbed a bottle to start washing Levi's hair.

"Really brat?" Levi huffed but with Eren's long fingers massaging his head he didn't really put up to much resistance.

"Oh, if all the soldiers could see their terrifying Captain now" Eren teased lightly making Levi scowl. "All soaped up and pissed off". Eren was laughing at the image of his husband, the happy sound breaking any of the anger Levi may have had and just made him roll his eyes in defeat. He couldn't believe they were so calm and relaxed in their little bubble after everything that had happened over the past few days, he only hoped Grisha had heeded his warning and left the base already. If that man was still here and did anything to wipe the smile of Eren's face he wouldn't be able to stop with just a punch to the jaw.

Eren's hand had moved from his head and now massaged his shoulders and upper back, his firm palm working out the knots of stress. Levi couldn't help the groan he let out, Eren's hands felt so good as he worked his way all over his back.

Eren moved his head forward and propped his chin on Levi's shoulder so he could whisper in his ear "I expect a full return later".

Levi moaned as Eren's hand worked out a particularly sore muscle "Keep going and I'll do whatever you want" he growled. Eren grinned in satisfaction and kept going for a few minutes but they really did need to get going or they would miss breakfast. They dressed quickly and walked down to the mess hall, as soon as they entered a few things happened at once.

First they noticed that Grisha was in fact gone and the leftover stress they had been carrying disappeared completely, next Hange called out excitedly to Levi at the same time Ymir shouted across the room at Eren. They glanced at each and sighed, breakfast together was apparently not going to happen.

"Levi?" Eren said quickly before he walked away "Can we not mention the baby thing to anyone? I want it to only stay between the people who already know. It's going to be hard enough with Hange but I can't cope with more people questioning us".

Levi nodded "Definitely, nobody but us, Erwin and Hange" he paused before asking slowly "When  _do_  we tell people though?"

Eren shrugged trying not to think to hard about the next few months "How about when there's an actual baby to tell people about?" he answered.

Levi relaxed at his answer and leaned forward to peck him quickly on the lips "I like that idea. It'll give us some time to get used to it".

 

***

 

"So... how'd it go after the ball?" Ymir asked immediately as Eren sat down with them. Everyone looked at him expectantly, their eyes shining with curiosity.

"Fine" was all Eren could manage.

"Please, we saw you two come home early. You looked very  _intimate_ " Ymir said making Eren choke on the food he had just tried to eat.

"You were watching us?" he spluttered while Marco patted him gently on the back.

Ymir juts shrugged "We wanted to make sure we had been helpful in getting our friend laid".

"The fuck, Ymir?" Eren cursed but Connie and Sasha were laughing now, breaking the tension.

"We weren't exactly subtle but you two were all over each other, the whole base could have been watching and you wouldn't have noticed or cared" Sasha laughed making Eren blush.

"Shut up, Sasha. We- we were... umm... just shut up" Eren stuttered embarrassed, making Reiner and Ymir join in laughing. Thinking back on it they  _had_  been very handsy getting up to their room and his friends had seen it all. Fuck.

"You're all fucking stalkers" Eren grumbled only making them laugh louder.

"So how is our Captain in bed?" Ymir said, her voice low and conspiratorial, "You never said anything about the library but we've got to know, please".

"Oh, I am so not saying anything. Way to much information for all of you idiots" Eren said firmly. Nope, never going to tell them about Levi in bed, that was for him alone.

"Please, Eren" Sasha whined.

"Nope, never going to happen" Eren promised making everyone else present very disappointed, he could tell Connie was going to start begging soon but dear, sweet Marco spoke first.

"Your father left pretty quickly? He was only here a day, did something go wrong?" Marco asked.

Eren paled at the mention of his father and thoughts of his future child flooded his brain, momentarily stalling him, "Everything's fine, my father was here on business" he managed to spit out.

"Oh OK, I was just surprised he didn't spend more time here, it's such a long way to come for only a day" Marco said gently.

"He's very busy in Maria, my sister is capable but my father believes he can't be away for too long" Eren said quickly hoping it would be enough for them to believe, Marco nodded and went back to his food.

"Fine, so no details but at least tell us about the ball" Connie said and Eren sighed.

"And maybe how you got those hickeys all over your neck?" Ymir teased, Eren dropped his fork and flung his hand up to cover his bruised neck.

"Fucking again, Levi? Really?" Eren cursed trying to hide it but with his low collar and short hair it wasn't really possible. He looked up at the sound of everyone snorting and laughing over his predicament, they all watched with smiles plastered over their faces as he struggled to hide the damage Levi had done.

"Again, Eren? How many times does he do that?" Ymir asked happily.

"Every fucking time" Eren blurted before his brain could filter his thoughts, they erupted into hysterics again.

"Fuck all of you" Eren growled getting up to leave and go find Levi, maybe yell at him for the very visible marks on his neck.

"No, please stay. We promise we won't tease anymore" Sasha pleaded grabbing his sleeve so he couldn't walk away, "At least tell us about the ball?"

"Yeah, did you meet anyone interesting?" Bertolt pitched in.

"Did you get any inspiration? I know you've been trying to figure out what to do down here" Marco asked curiously.

"Everyone was interesting" Eren said taking his seat again "but I couldn't find anything I really want to do". With all that had happened since the ball he hadn't given a moment to think about what was next. He knew soon enough he would have a baby to think about but for now he focused on himself and what he wanted to pursue. His eyes widened as a thought came to life. He needed to do some research, now.

"I have to go" Eren said quickly picking up his tray and standing up.

"No please don't be mad with us" Sasha cried.

Eren smiled at her "I promise I'm not mad but I just had an excellent idea and I need to research it more. I'll see you all later".

He walked quickly out of the room heading straight for the library.

 

***

 

Levi didn't see Eren all day, he wasn't sitting in his usual spot during training and didn't show up for lunch either. He was only slightly worried but after the last few days he thought maybe Eren was hiding in their room away from people, trying to come to terms with what their future looked like now. He began to get really worried when Eren didn't show up for dinner either, knowing Eren was definitely missing meals now he grabbed a plate to take up to their room hoping to find his husband there.

Their room was empty. He left the plate on the table and moved quickly to start looking for Eren. What if Eren was hurt or in trouble and he hadn't looked for him all day? His first stop was the common rooms where he knew recruits hung out. He entered and looked around immediately spotting Eren's group of friends. Eren wasn't there but he stalked towards them anyway; they were all lounged on armchairs and rugs on the floor, they were all talking and laughing until they spotted Levi coming over. The bald one noticed first and nudged a brunette girl who was stuffing her face with a baked potato.

"Oi, potato girl" Levi called out dryly and every one of them turned to face him, their eyes wide and face's panicked. Levi never interacted casually with recruits, he barely interacted with his peers. "Have you seen Eren?"

"E-Eren?" she stuttered staring at him.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Yes, Eren, you know, brown hair, green eyes, a bit of a shit?"

"Oh, uh yeah. He said he was going to do some research at breakfast and left pretty quickly" Sasha informed him nervously. Levi nodded a little relieved, Eren was probably in the library then.

"Thanks" He grunted and stalked back out of the room, heading towards the library.

He found Eren in a corner table completely surrounded by books. He could make out a few titles. Baby books. Everything from conception to birth plus more on their care after that. Eren was completely engaged in a book, his hand propping his head up as he read. Levi smiled at the sight, loving to see Eren comfortable and relaxed.

"Anything interesting?" he asked making Eren jump.

"Fuck, Levi, you scared me" Eren cursed but smiled when he took in Levi's face. He then blushed as Levi nodded towards the current book he was reading; it was about pregnancy. "I'm researching" he mumbled, closing the book but Levi noticed that he did quickly mark the page he was on.

"I noticed" Levi smirked "Anything I need to know?"

Eren looked genuinely pleased that Levi was taking an interest and turned to him as Levi pulled out a chair to sit next to his husband.

"Well, actually I'm not really researching for us or... I didn't start with that... but I was reading and then there was so much I didn't know and then I started to panic... so I just grabbed everything" Eren stammered blushing.

Levi raised an eyebrow "What did you come here to research then?"

"Well, my friends were asking about the ball at breakfast and whether I had met anyone interesting... I had mentioned before I was looking for something to do here and they were curious. But then I realised that with a baby coming soon that my work might be limited and plus I hadn't found anything I really wanted to do and then it hit me" Eren was babbling, his voice becoming more excited "I think I want to continue my mum's work here in Trost".

Levi blinked, shocked. That was... actually a really good idea. "You want to set up a surrogacy agency here in Trost?" Levi confirmed and Eren nodded.

"I mean, I'll need a lot of help and it'll take a lot of time but it's a good thing when it's done right. There are so many people who want kids but can't have them and I want to help, plus I'll go through it myself so I can work out all the kinks and be able to improve how it's run" he had started out so impassioned but slowly trailed off looking at Levi "what do you think?"

Levi took in his hopeful face and the piles and piles of books around him, Levi knew it would mean so much for Eren to continue where his mum left off plus it would give him a purpose, give would-be parents some hope, not to mention create some much needed jobs in Trost. "It's perfect" Levi told him and Eren beamed.

"I knew it, I felt like it was right. I'll need to talk to the doctor that's coming in a few days and get her opinion plus I need to do so much research to make sure it's even possible to set up here. I'll need people I trust to help me because this kind of thing can go really badly but I think I can do it" Eren finished happily, Levi leaned forward and kissed him firmly.

"I definitely think it's worth a try plus it'll be a great way for you to get to know people and for people to know you" Levi said "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help".

"Thankyou, Levi" Eren whispered and kissed him back.

"Enough for tonight though. You need to eat and get some sleep, you've been in here all day" Levi said.

Eren blinked and looked around "Wait, what time is it? Did I miss lunch?"

Levi snorted "You missed dinner too, it's almost 8:00".

"Fuck, really? I didn't even notice I was so wrapped up in these books" Eren sighed "do you think I can still get some food from the kitchen?"

"I got you some. It's up in our room" Levi replied making Eren smile.

"I knew I married you for a reason" he teased and jumped up, he stopped glancing back and forth from his mountain of books to the shelves.

"Leave them, you're coming back tomorrow, right?" Levi said.

"Yes, definitely, I still have a shit tonne of work to do" Eren confirmed happily while Levi laughed.

Eren grabbed onto Levi's hand and stepped in nice and close to whisper "My shoulders are killing me, how would you feel about that massage you owe me?"

"I'm sure we can work something out" Levi replied playfully and Eren grinned in success.

 

***

 

The next few days were spent in the same way, except now Levi knew where Eren was tucked away and made time to bring him food so his husband wouldn't starve. It was definitely worth it as everytime Eren saw Levi coming toward him with a plate of food he grinned happily and kissed him hungrily. He was making headway into his research and informing Levi about the process and bouncing ideas off him as he ate, Levi was very realistic and knew his Kingdom back to front which helped Eren a lot in making plans. They hadn't mentioned Eren's idea to anyone and didn't want to until he was sure it could work.

Levi was out doing his afternoon workout when Eren ran up to him, his face flushed and excited.

"I think it'll work!" he cried and threw himself on Levi in a hug, Levi was not alone but actually surrounded by his squad. Apparently Eren hadn't noticed. Levi couldn't help but hug his over enthusiastic husband back but he kept it quick as he could hear the laughter reaching him. He glared at his squad who had all stopped to watch the interaction, they had smiles on their faces ranging from taunting to genuinely pleased.

"Oh, uh, sorry" Eren whispered finally noticing the other people near them and taking an embarrassed step back from Levi.

"Don't worry about it" Petra soothed but she was still smiling "I'm glad you two are getting along".

Eren returned the smile but tried ignoring them to refocus on Levi "I've got it sorted and I think it's possible. Are you very busy? I want to talk it over with you".

"I'm good but let's go somewhere else where these nosy fucks aren't listening in" Levi replied and flipped them off as he grabbed Eren's hand and walked away. They heard the snickering of laughter echoing after them.

They walked slowly away following the path down to the stables, it was a longer way but they talked as they went, Eren enjoying the afternoon sunlight.

"I want to go over everything with you first but I thought Hange could be brought in pretty quickly. She would offer a more scientific perspective plus I figure if I invite her in it will stop her from barging in later" Eren explained and Levi chuckled.

"Yeah, she's a shit but she'll be good to bring into this idea" Levi confirmed.

"I spent so much time when I was younger with my mum while she worked that I actually already know a bit about the organizing of an agency like this but I'm going to need financial help to get it off the ground" Eren continued "I figured if I threw an event and invited a lot of wealthy people I might be able to find someone I can trust to help fund it, I could bring the idea into the open and see how it's received plus maybe draw some investors in".

Levi looked stunned at how much effort Eren had actually put in to this, his husband was clever as fuck. "You've thought about this a lot, huh?"

"Well, of course. I want to do it so I have to put the effort in" Eren said shrugging. Levi smiled, happy to know there was still so much about Eren he had yet to find out. "I thought  that I can start with running everything from here first and if I could get some investors, I could then find a building to set up in. I'll need to hire doctors and get a client base and find women who would be willing to participate but I'll need to make it very public and take away all of the negative connotations and rumours that could start up. I want to make it available for everyone as well, not just the rich who can afford it, everyone who wants children should have the option to have them" Eren continued babbling and Levi just listened, completely fascinated.

"There's so much work to do and well... it might take awhile" Eren paused "I think I might have to wait a few years to start".

Levi turned quickly "Why? Don't you want to start right away?"

"I do" Eren hedged "but... with our child coming I don't think it'll be possible. I don't know if I can do both".

Levi raised an eyebrow confused "What the fuck do you mean? You aren't the sole carer for this child and I will not have you giving up on your plans simply because it might be a little more difficult".

Eren's mouth dropped open but Levi continued "You have a year minimum before we have to worry about our child, you can get started and when the time comes if it is too hard for us then I can slow down and do the majority of care".

Eren couldn't make words. His brain was spinning both too fast and too slow to comprehend what was happening.

"Anyway, going through the process yourself can only help and if you want too you can probably take the kid around with you" Levi shrugged easily "Make it a very family friendly place and just show the kid off. Tell everyone that this is what they have to look forward too".

"But- but... you can't slow down! You're Trost's strongest soldier! You have training and recruits and a squad!" Eren cried.

"Fuck that, if it means you get to work on something you love than I can do whatever I want" Levi said sharply, Eren opened his mouth to try again but Levi cut him off "And if Erwin has a problem with it then he go fuck himself".

Eren opened his mouth and then closed it a few times before he blurted out "Fuck, I love you" while pushing Levi into the beam that made up the entrance to the stables they had finally reached. Eren kissed him deeply while Levi spun them around so that Eren was now the one pushed up against the beam. Levi's hands wandered freely over Eren's body while Eren's set to work unbuttoning Levi's shirt. They hadn't had much time to be together as Eren had spent the last few days buried in his research only to return to their room completely exhausted and fall asleep as soon as he reached the bed. Levi didn't mind; being close to Eren was enough- but now apparently pent up feelings were being let loose.

"Fuck, Eren" Levi groaned as Eren bit Levi's lip gently his palm pressed right on Levi's chest. Levi was extending his hands down to Eren pants and slipping it in to take hold of him. Eren moaned deeply at the contact and closed his eyes, his head falling forward onto Levi's shoulder. Levi only managed to run his hand over Eren once before a snarky voice called out:

"Fuck, Yeager, that's more than I planned on seeing of you today".

They stopped, their eyes opening wide and then instantly went into panic mode. Levi pushed Eren behind him and turned to face the intruder while Eren stared stunned over Levi's shoulder.

"The fuck do you want?" Levi cursed at the same time Eren shouted "Jean?!"

It was only then did they notice the other people on horses around Jean. There were six horses total, each carrying a person, but Levi stayed focused on the young man who had called out to Eren.

Eren was not as concerned with him anymore as he had noticed the person just behind Jean, "Armin?"

Armin smiled but there was a blush on his cheeks still embarrassed over what they had interrupted. The embarrassment disappeared as soon as Eren ran forward to pull him down from the horse and crush him in a hug.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Armin?" Eren cried not letting go of his friend.

"Weren't you expecting us?" Armin replied confused.

"No!" Eren shouted and Levi watched as realization came crashing down on him "You'e the second party my father said was coming. Oh, fuck". Eren's face turned crimson as they both looked around at the other people present. Jean was there, a taunting smirk on his face from practically catching Eren with his pants down, a middle aged woman and younger brunette woman were there, Rico Brzenska was present with a interested look on her face but their eyes stopped on the last person.

She was young, about Eren's age, with medium length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She looked small and nervous sitting on her horse, her eyes flitting between Eren and Levi taking in their dishevelled appearance but Levi watched as a small smile appeared on her face at Eren's embarrassment.

Everyone began dismounting while Levi quickly rebuttoned his shirt and tucked it into his pants, fuck Eren was getting quick with one hand, he watched as Jean jumped down and walked over to help the small blonde girl down. Three stable hands ran forward to collect the horses and walk them away to find them stables. They all stood around awkwardly until the middle aged woman walked forward and extended her hand to Levi.

"Dr Ilse Langnar" she said and Levi shook her hand politely.

"Captain Levi Ackerman" he replied and then gestured to Eren "my husband, Prince Eren Yeager".

Ilse smile at Eren's name and turned to him "I haven't seen you for a long time, Eren".

"Dr Ilse!" Eren called recognising the name and remembering instantly the woman who he had spent so much time annoying as a child, he walked forward and threw his arms around her in a hug, shocking Levi a little.

"It's nice to see you again" she said playfully "although I wish I hadn't seen quite as much". Eren blushed and ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"Um, sorry about that, we- we.. uh got carried away" Eren stammered but Dr Ilse just laughed happily.

"Don't worry about it, kid" she said patting him on the shoulder. Eren walked over to Levi to grab his hand and pull him forward.

"This is Dr Ilse, Levi. She was a friend of my mum's, they ran the agency together" Eren explained.

"Well, your mother did most of the work, she was really a quite amazing woman" Dr Ilse laughed lightly and gestured to the younger woman beside her; "This is Nifa, she's my assistant". The thin brunette smiled at them but Levi's attention was still on the blonde girl; she looked young and very nervous.

"Ah, of course" Dr Ilse said noticing their interest and reached over to take the girl's hand and pull her forward; "This is Historia Reiss- she's going to be your surrogate".

 

 


	22. Friend Like Me

"It's nice to meet you, Your Highness, Captain Ackerman" Historia greeted politely, bowing her head.

"You as well and please, Levi and Eren are fine" Eren said just as polite, bowing his head in return.

"I hope your trip was pleasant" Levi tried but his voice was stilted at the sudden arrival of all these people.

"It was, thankyou" Historia replied. The conversation was too nice, too polite and so very awkward. How the fuck do you talk to the woman who was going to carry your child?

"We- we should go inside... let Erwin know your here" Levi said and Eren sighed in relief. Thank fuck Levi knew a getaway plan.

"Yes... we arrived early so we know you weren't expecting us just yet! If you wouldn't mind showing us inside?" Dr Ilse said happily taking over the conversation and steering Historia in the direction of the castle.

"Brzenska? Can I have a word? I need to fill you in on the last few days" Levi asked Rico and she nodded. With a quick kiss on Eren's cheek he strode forward with Rico and led the way inside; Historia, Dr Ilse and Nifa followed silently leaving Eren with Armin and Jean.

"You two are going to give me a fucking cavity" Jean taunted pissing Eren off even though he couldn't help blushing.

"Why the fuck are you even here, Jean?" Eren asked, the initial pleasure at seeing his well, for lack of a better word, friend having passed.

"Eren Yaeger's having a kid" Jean taunted "this was something you couldn't pay me to miss. Well, that and I was curious how this little arrangement was going".

"Fuck you" Eren cursed. Eren couldn't help it, as soon as he was with Jean for longer than a few moments they started arguing, had done since they were much younger.

"Jean's protection" Armin answered quickly, trying to quickly fuse the argument before it really got going.

"Protection? Horseface is protection?" Eren queried rather loudly, he saw Levi turn his head from a few metres in front to smile at him. Apparently Levi thought the nickname was funny too.

"I told you to stop fucking calling me that" Jean fumed but Eren only grinned and shrugged.

"Please stop you two, we've only been here like 10 minutes" Armin pleaded but he sounded annoyed.

"Fine" they both grumbled.

"Although, I have to say I didn't think I'd see you making out with your husband quite so thoroughly in a stable" Jean teased quietly.

"Jean!" Armin shouted before Eren could hit him, "Go talk to Historia. Now".

"Fine" Jean grumbled as he walked over to Historia and Eren was finally left alone with his best friend. 

"Are you doing OK, Eren" Armin asked quietly the worry very clear in his voice.

Eren smiled at his friend glad to be alone with the blonde "I'm better than OK. This was actually the best thing that could have happened to me. You don't have to worry about me here, Armin".

Armin sighed relieved "I'm glad, Eren, Mikasa and I have been really worried about you".

"It's OK now, I promise. I really like Levi" Eren confided but Armin paused seeming to only just take in his still bandaged wrist.

"Eren!" What happened to your wrist?" Armin squeaked going for Eren's arm to get a better look, he held Eren's wrist gently in his hands.

Eren replied slowly "Oh, that. I fell off my horse on the way here, I was tired and I may have been pushing myself a little to hard". He hated lying to Armin and he knew that soon he would have to tell his best friend and his sister what exactly had been happening for half of his life but not yet. Levi knowing was still too much plus Armin and Mika had to live with Grisha and if they knew they wouldn't be able to hide their anger. In fact, Mikasa would defintely hurt their father, he was sure of it.

He would tell them, he promised himself, but only when he was ready and it was safe to do so.

"God, Eren, you need to look after yourself" Armin chastised making Eren smile at the familiar tone.

"I know, I know" Eren said lightly.

Armin's eyes narrowed and his voice lowered a little more, so that only Eren could hear him "Levi is good to you, right? He's not forcing you into anything you don't want to do?"

Eren was confused for a moment. What could Levi possibly force him to do? And then, oh, right. "No! There is no forcing" Eren answered quickly.

"Promise me, Eren" Armin said firmly and Eren nodded.

"He has never forced me to do anything. Everything we've done has been very, ah, mutual" Eren promised sincerely.

"Everything you've done, huh?" Armin prodded, his serious voice gone now that he knew Eren was definitely OK, and a light teasing one replacing it.

"Yes, Armin" Eren sighed, his friend was relentless when it came to wanting to know something and he was honestly better off just telling him straight out.

"So... you've slept with him?" Armin asked his eyes trained on Eren's face.

Eren blushed but forged on "Yeah, I have".

"Oh God. You actually did it... please tell me it went OK?" Armin's voice had lost it's lightness again at the idea of Eren having actually gone through with it.

"Armin, I swear I am only going to say this once more, so please hear me" Eren said firmly not wanting Armin to think badly of Levi. "We only had sex for the first time like a week ago. I was the one pursuing him. And it went very, very OK".

Armin's eyes widened at Eren's words and Eren knew he would definitely have to go over it more than once.

"You went after him?" Armin squeaked.

"Of course, have you seen him?" Eren replied playfully.

"Well, yes, but I thought he would be the one trying to wear  _you_  down" Armin explained, "I know you said you were OK with this before the wedding but Mika and I could tell you were scared. You didn't want this, as much as you said you were fine, we could tell you weren't".

"Your right, I didn't want it. I was scared and nervous and honestly wanted to be anywhere else" Eren confirmed "but then I met Levi and got to know him. He's kind and thoughtful, a little bit of an asshole but that's more than OK. He never even touched me until I said it was alright, he's taken care of me and loved me and gotten me through a lot of shit that's happened in the last month".

Armin's mouth had dropped open "He loves you?" Fuck, had Eren said that? He blushed right to the tips of his ears at the words he had spilled out so easily but nodded slowly in confirmation.

"You love him too, right?" Armin whispered and again Eren just nodded, words failing him at the moment.

"You're in so fucking deep, Eren" Armin laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"I know" Eren groaned.

They were walking slowly through the inside halls now, everyone in front of them seemed to be happy to take their time in getting to their destination. They would have a quick meeting including Erwin and Hange and then they would all go down for dinner.

"Hey Eren?" Armin asked as they walked at the back of the group. "How are you doing with this whole baby thing?"

"I'm getting there" Eren said softly and Armin nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, Mika and I were worried that bringing a child into this so soon would be a terrible idea but now... I don't know" Armin confessed "I think I'm going to have to rethink a little".

"I'm guessing you weren't expecting Levi and I to get on" Eren questioned smiling a little.

Armin snorted "We hoped at the most that you would be tolerating each other  _maybe_  growing to like. We thought that bringing a baby into the mix would be like throwing in a live grenade".

"I think if it were anyone else you would be completely right but Levi's different... it's hard to explain" Eren replied only to have Armin laugh again.

"It's really not that difficult, Eren. You fell for him and you fell pretty damn hard" Armin chuckled. "You are definitely going to have to tell me everything later"

"Arm-" Eren started but the people in front of them had paused and Levi was opening the door to Erwin's office. They all filed through slowly and easily, their company a lot lighter and happier than the previous one. As luck would have it Hange was already there going over documents and she smiled widely as everyone walked in.

"Ah, you guys are here early! We didn't expect you until tonight!" she said cheerfully completely forgetting what she was saying to Erwin. But the Commander didn't mind; he just put the papers away and smiled at their group.

"It's a pleasure to have you all here. Come in and sit down, I'm sure we all have things to discuss" Erwin said pleasantly. Everyone began making themselves comfortable in the various chairs in the room; there weren't quite enough so Eren found himself balancing on an arm of the lounge while Jean and Nifa found themselves on the floor.

"First things first" Hange called "how did you all run into each other? I thought you were training, Levi?" Eren went bright red and Levi went stiff as Hange studied them; her smile widened and her eyes brightened at their reaction.

"Coincidence" Armin said coolly and Eren knew his friend was trying to save him from further embarrassment. Jean, however, did not have the same idea.

"Yeah, if coincidence means finding them half naked in the stable then it was definitely a coincidence" Jean teased loudly. Eren leaned over and punched him hard on the shoulder. "The fuck, Yeager?!" he yelled, rubbing the sore spot. Hange started cackling hysterically and Erwin had his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"You need to close your fucking mouth, horseface" Eren growled only making Hange laugh louder.

"You set her off. Fucking fantastic" Levi said dryly to Jean from his position next to Eren. "And to be fair we were only partially naked".

"A stable, Levi? Only  _partially_  naked? Don't you have any self control?" Hange taunted between bursts of laughter, Levi rolled his eyes at her and shrugged his shoulders casually.

"It's fine, it could have been worse" Levi replied smoothly.

"How, Levi? How could that possibly have been worse?" Eren hissed, his face crimson. How was Levi not embarrassed? 

"Well, they could have shown up five minutes later, we both know where we were headed" Levi teased and Eren's mouth dropped open. Five minutes later... Now  _that_  would have been embarrassing.

Everyone seemed to be watching the conversation intently, the women were all smiling or laughing happily- the men, however, they sat in stunned disbelief. Erwin couldn't believe how easy Levi had become around Eren, he saw his friend actually happy and comfortable around the young prince. He hadn't honestly spent too much time watching or worrying about their relationship; leaving it to them to report honestly to him- but witnessing it was something else and he knew now he had nothing to worry about when it came to them.

Armin watched as his oldest friend was being teased gently by his husband, he had always thought Captain Levi was an emotionless bastard but now... well he definitely wasn't when it came to Eren. And Eren himself looked so much happier here, he looked relaxed and calm, and Armin knew Eren hadn't been lying when he said it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

And Jean just sat with his mouth open lost in thought- he had known Eren a long time and always thought he was a pretty happy person but seeing him now he knew he was wrong. He saw Eren's genuine little smile as he teased his husband and Jean realised just how much pretending Eren had done in his life- and he realised the only time he was completely honest was when they had been arguing.

"You know you have a room for exactly this reason, right?" Hange mocked.

"I was kind of excited" Eren muttered and then smacked a hand over his mouth as if he could stop the words coming out. Levi snorted out a laugh next to him.

"Alright, alright. That's enough" Erwin called out and Eren thanked him silently before- "we have a meeting at the moment, we can all continue this at dinner". There were chuckles and giggles around the room as Eren put his bright red face in his hands- he would never try to speak again.

"We'll keep this brief but for now there will be no immediate action. We have discussed with King Grisha and arranged some terms together- the first being that it will be two months before Miss Reiss here will start carrying the child".

"Two months?" Dr Ilse questioned.

"Yes, Eren and I decided we need a little more time to prepare and negotiated for two more months before we started the process" Levi answered smoothly.

"That actually helps. It will give us time to settle in and for you two to get to know Historia a little better, and for her to know you" Ilse replied calmly. "It's a big step on both parts and I've found the process goes a lot easier when the two parties are on a friendly basis".

"Is this OK with you, Miss Reiss?" Erwin asked her directly, she nodded calmly but Eren could tell she had relaxed a great deal. Apparently they hadn't been the only ones who were nervous.

"The child will also be raised here in Trost with only a month out of the year spent in Maria. Eren and I want to be here and thought it best to stay in the one place, with the one home" Levi continued his hand moving unseen to take Eren's. "Princess Mikasa will also be able to visit twice a year in addition to the time we spend in Maria to get to know her niece or nephew". Eren smiled remembering how often he would be able to see his sister now and if he was lucky Armin would come along too, his friend seemed to be thinking the same thing as they looked at each other and grinned.

"We amended the alliance a little so it would be good if Brzenska and Mr Alert could read it over again and get updated" Erwin continued steadily. 

"There's one last thing that we need you to know" Levi said sharply getting everyone's attention. "We don't want to go into details at this stage but you should all be aware that King Grisha will not be a part of this child's life". The statement was met with complete silence as everyone turned to look at each curiously- it was only when Eren pulled in a deep breath and started talking did they refocus on them.

"My- my father is not a good person" Eren choked out quietly his hand firmly in Levi's for support "and I do not want him to have any part in our child's life. I don't want to say much more except that if he does not co-operate or he does break our agreement there will be serious consequences for both Kingdoms. So, please keep an eye out for him, he doesn't know when to quit sometimes".

There were silent nods around the room as Eren finished. He knew how it sounded but it was the least amount of information he could give out without going further into his relationship with his father. And he was  _not_  ready for that.

"I think that's everything for the moment" Erwin called out, "shall we go down for dinner?"

 

***

 

Dinner was a happy affair; their table was now completely packed and with the added rudeness of Jean, the subtle taunting of Armin and Dr Ilse's cheerful laugh no one could really stay annoyed for long. Eren had thought it best to introduce his two separate sets of friends the next day so for now the recruits were not present. After lengthy conversations and a lot more teasing; Erwin and Brzenska excused themselves to do some more work, Dr Ilse, Nifa and Historia retired to their rooms exhausted and everyone else slowly went their separate ways.

Levi and Eren walked back to their room but Eren didn't plan on staying long; he wanted to talk to Armin alone- to really catch up wit him.

"That was a long day" Levi sighed kicking his shoes off by the door.

"It was good though" Eren replied lightly "I like Historia, she seems sweet".

"I like her too" Levi agreed quietly. "I'm sorry, Eren, but I still have some work to do".

"That's OK, I actually want to go and see Armin, we haven't had the chance to talk properly yet" Eren answered happily. Levi raised an eyebrow and stepped in nice and close to Eren.

"Properly, huh?" Levi questioned dryly.

"Oh yeah, I have a lot of dirt to tell him" Eren murmured dropping his voice low.

"Really, brat?" Levi asked but Eren smiled softly.

"No, not really" Eren promised and then moved forward to whisper in Levi's ear "I like being the only one who knows what you sound like as you come; it's for my ears only".

"Fuck, Eren" Levi muttered getting turned on just from Eren's words.

"Well, for my ears and apparently whoever catches us in the middle of it" Eren teased making Levi snort.

"You can stay if you want? I'm sure work can wait a few hours" Levi coaxed his voice low and his hand moving to Eren's chest.

"Hmm... no, I'm good" Eren replied lightly stepping back "I have a friend to see and you have a lot of boring work to do". Levi huffed, it was probably for the best anyway, but Eren wasn't done. He smirked and leaned forward to softly kiss the tip of Levi's nose.

"Don't wait up" he whispered and turned around to quickly leave the room.

"Fucking brat" he heard Levi huff as he closed the door behind him.

 

***

 

"Eren! What are you doing here?" Armin asked as he opened the door to see his friend's smiling face.

"Well, first of all passing up on sex with my husband to talk to you. Although, I'm seriously reconsidering that decision right now" Eren joked as he stepped into Armin's small room. The guest quarters at the military base were made to be small and functional rather than the luxury of Maria Palace.

Armin laughed and led them over to the bed. The both climbed up and got comfortable, this situation feeling so familiar right now, all they needed was Mikasa and they could have pretended nothing had changed. Well, except the topic of conversation.

"You did promise you'd tell me everything later" Armin said lightly.

"I don't believe I promised anything like that" Eren replied.

"Well, you would have promised if we weren't interrupted" Armin said steadily. 

"Yeah, probably" Eren laughed and proceeded to tell Armin and edited version of events since he left Maria. He didn't mention anything Levi had told him in confidence or what had happened outside the base but he talked about his new friends, his idea to continue his mum's work, the military ball and all of his plans leading up to it, the baby that was coming and Levi. He talked about Levi almost non-stop. Even when he was on a completely different topic and Levi had no involvement, Eren found a way to include him, and it was funny because he didn't even realise he was doing it.

Armin just listened to his friends happy ramblings. He heard the lightness in his voice and felt how relaxed he had become. He had never noticed how tense Eren had been, how he had always been on edge in Maria but now, seeing this Eren in comparison, something in him clicked. Armin had always prided himself on being intelligent, he saw things and figured things out faster than a lot of people but he hadn't managed to do this. His best friend had been suffering in front of him for years and he hadn't noticed, he hadn't realised how bad Eren was. Eren's words from their meeting came back to him and he knew, it all came together. Grisha had been abusing Eren, maybe for years now and he had never told them and Armin and Mikasa hadn't figured it out. He had never mentioned to him or Mikasa what was happening. The bruises... the panic attacks... the constant tension... and the guilt came crashing down on Armin.

"Armin? You OK" Eren asked resting a hand on Armin's shoulder.

The blonde nodded quickly and choked out "I'm fine, tired I guess". He couldn't bring it up, he would wait until Eren was ready, but if he was right then nothing would stop him from getting to Grisha and doing all he could to ruin that son of a bitch.

"OK then, I'll let you get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning" Eren answered and threw his arms around Armin in a hug; Armin hugged him back much tighter; trying to apologise for the years of neglect on his part.

"Night, Eren" Armin whispered.

Eren jumped off the bed and walked to the door, he turned back with a grin on his face "Hey, maybe I'll get lucky and Levi will still be up" then the grin widened showing his teeth- "Although, I  _can_  always wake him up- I don't think he'll say no".

Armin smiled softly at his friend "I'm glad you're happy, Eren" he said sincerely.

Eren just grinned and left the room, the door smacking closed behind him. Armin would investigate his idea, although he was pretty sure he was right, and Grisha would have hell to pay for everything's he's done. That bastard would be nothing when Armin was through with him.

 


	23. Wildest Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update, I'm at uni and I work in retail and coming up to Christmas it's a little hectic!! I thought we were in need of some light fluff after the last few chapters though :)

Levi woke up to an annoying brat poking his cheek.

"Levi... wake up" Eren whined, his voice still relatively quiet, "Come on... you never used to sleep this much".

"Ugh... I never had an annoying brat keep me up all hours of the night" Levi replied thickly, his eyes still glued shut.

Eren snorted and stopped poking him now he was awake, "Are you really complaining?"

Levi chose to ignore him and roll away to try and find sleep again but Eren followed, he started poking Levi's cheek a little harder. "Le-vi!

"Let me sleep, idiot" Levi groaned, lightly smacking Eren's hand away. For a moment he thought he'd won but then he felt movement and Eren's lithe body was now settled on top of him.

"We're going to be late" Eren huffed but it was light and teasing.

"Late? For what?" Levi asked dazed, still half consumed in sleep.

"I'm finally leaving this fucking base, remember?" Eren beamed, his voice triumphant- and then last night's dinner conversation returned full-force. Armin had wanted to see some of Trost and maybe do some shopping and Eren had been in full agreement. Levi, Erwin and Hange had all exchanged looks though- Eren still wasn't entirely safe off the base especially if it was just Armin accompanying him. They had voiced their objections and then before Levi knew it Eren was begging him to come with them and then Jean had somehow forced his way in as well. It was going to be a long day.

"Fuck" Levi groaned trying to push Eren off and pull his blankets childishly over his head. If it had just been Eren and himself he would have been OK maybe even enjoyed the little trip but now he was basically tagging along after three brats- two of whom seemed to argue more than not. Eren leaned over him, gently tugging the blankets away to look at Levi's scowling face. He just grinned.

"Please come with me" Eren whispered leaning in nice and close, he pressed his lips to Levi's ear in a soft kiss and then opened his mouth to nip at it. "It'll be fun" he whispered as his lips made their way down Levi's jaw.

"You really think kissing me is going to change my mind, brat?" Levi growled.

"Mhmm..." Eren murmured "it's tried and tested". And Levi couldn't really argue with that as Eren's lips had found his and his thoughts were fading with each soft kiss. He was getting swept away, his hands finding Eren's warm skin and his legs moving to try and encircle the brunette- so he didn't exactly notice that Eren had been slowly edging them to the side of the bed. He moved a little to quickly and then there was nothing under him, he had fallen right of the side of the bed.

He sat a little stunned on the ground his gaze turning towards the bed and instantly seeing Eren's mischievous grin as he peeked over the side to watch. 

"Are you awake now?" Eren teased.

"What the fuck was that for?" Levi grumbled, slowly getting to his feet and rubbing his hip where he had landed. He tried to step over to Eren but his husband had already scampered off the bed and towards the door- he was already completely dressed for the day.

"I really want to go" Eren replied smirking.

"Tch... fine. I'll be down soon" Levi said, giving up and heading to the bathroom.

Eren was halfway out the door when he turned his head and said in a light but definitely threatening voice "You have 10 minutes or I'm sending Hange in" then he just turned his head and closed the door with a thud.

Levi may have walked into the mess hall 9 and a half minutes later just to be safe. He hoped Eren had been joking but on the off chance he wasn't, he didn't want Hange bursting into his bathroom while he was in the shower. Just, fuck no.

The mess hall was almost completely empty as it was early and everyone would still be in bed. He was greeted with an easy wave and a knowing smile from Eren. He was sitting with Armin and Jean and they were all talking animatedly until they realised Levi had arrived. Conversation immediately stopped as they looked over, Jean looked vaguely annoyed and Armin just looked away shyly. Levi sighed accepting this was how the day was going to go.

"Not excited for our little shopping trip?" a feminine voice called from behind him. He turned his head swiftly and was staring at Petra. What the fuck was Petra doing here?

"What the fuck are you doing here? Levi asked.

Petra laughed and replied "Eren asked me to come, thought maybe you'd like some company".

"Seriously?" Levi asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess he figured he was going to be pretty caught up with his friends and anyway, it's safer with more security" Petra shrugged an easy smile on her face. Levi was genuinely surprised that Eren had thought about this, about how Levi was going to enjoy the day, and having Petra along would be a benefit to everyone. She was kind and easygoing plus she was quick and agile in a fight, she knew where she needed to be.

"I appreciate it" Levi grunted and Petra smirked.

"Come on we should eat and get going, Eren may burst if we keep him waiting any longer". And Eren did look ready to burst, he was sitting on the edge of his seat, his leg bouncing against the ground and his smile wide and happy. It was actually pretty cute.

Eren watched as Levi grabbed a small amount of food and sat next to him, his smile fading a little.

"I promise I'll eat extremely fast" Levi said without even looking over at Eren. He heard Petra giggling next to him but ignored her- she wouldn't have to deal with a disappointed Eren if today didn't go as planned.

Levi did eat very fast and soon enough they were mounting horses and riding off the base. Eren had decided to ride behind Levi again as his arm still hadn't regained it's strength and he was also pretty sure Eren just like to sit close up behind Levi. It took about a 30 minute ride to get into the main market town, they stabled their horses and then Eren was off. 

He was a streak of brown hair and emerald eyes as he almost flew into the square and amongst the people. Armin was laughing at his friends enthusiasm while Jean was muttering something about Eren being an idiot. Levi and Petra just walked behind, keeping their eyes trained on the mop of brown hair running from stall to stall. 

"He's pretty excited today" Petra observed happily.

"Yeah, he's been at base almost a month and except the ball he hasn't been able to leave. He's never seen any of Trost before" Levi replied feeling a little guilty over not having done more for Eren. He spent the next few hours contently watching as Eren flitted everywhere, talking and laughing easily with his friends and strangers alike, he handed money over happily when he found something he liked and after awhile Levi started carrying things for him so he could free up his hands.

A few people had recognised Eren and himself but the brunette had only offered sincere smiles and was met with the same, Levi couldn't see any danger here for his husband. It was when Levi started thinking they should head back soon that Eren stopped in front of a small stall, Levi could see his blush from a few metres away but he turned and walked away quickly in the opposite direction and Levi couldn't see what he had been looking at as their were so many people around.

He watched as Eren would distractedly glance back every now and then with that blush still high on his cheeks. Levi picked up his pace and went over to where Eren was standing near Armin and Jean- who were busy studying the food in front of them. 

"Eren? You OK?" Levi murmured stepping in close. Eren flinched in surprised and whirled around on Levi.

"Levi! I- I...ugh I'm fine" Eren stammered his face now crimson.

"Hold on a second" Levi said quietly and walked over to Petra. "Can you watch them for a moment, I need to speak with Eren" Levi asked gesturing at Jean and Armin, Petra nodded but looked at him curiously. Levi returned and put his arm around Eren's waist to move him over to a quiet place where they could talk easily.

"OK, what's going on?" Levi asked steadily, his eyes boring into Eren's.

Eren bounced from foot to foot nervously "It's nothing. I just saw... nothing, it doesn't matter" he replied.

Levi raised a thin eyebrow "You're twitchy as fuck, Eren, don't lie to me".

"Fine, but don't laugh, OK?" Eren said, managing to only set Levi more on edge, but he nodded in promise. "There's  a little shop back there... that sells baby stuff and... and it was just really cute, OK?!" Eren blurted out. Levi didn't laugh, he just stood staring blankly. Eren had been looking at baby stuff?

"Like... clothes?" Levi asked.

"Yeah, clothes and blankets and toys... and I just started thinking about how we're going to need some of it soon" Eren answered softy, Levi didn't speak right away taking a moment to think. 

"Fuck it" Levi finally said and grabbed Eren's hand to drag him away. They  _would_  be needing some of that stuff soon and well, Levi was curious.

"What?" Eren squealed as Levi pulled him along.

"We're going to go look at the fucking cute baby clothes, alright?" Levi growled, his eyes not meeting Eren's but searching for that god damn stall. Eren was silent but his hand stopped pulling at Levi's and relaxed into his grip, soon enough he raised their joined hands to point at a small shop. It was overflowing with tiny clothes in rainbows of colours, there were blankets and quilts and hats and toys- it was ridiculous how much stuff they had managed to squeezed into that small stall.

Eren drew up beside Levi, his eyes trained on the little shop and his hand not letting go of Levi's. He took a deep breath and Levi did the same- it almost felt like they were walking into battle. They stepped forward slowly until Eren whispered to Levi "What if someone sees what we're doing?"

Levi pulled up short- he hadn't thought of that. What if someone did see them and rumours spread? They didn't want to tell anyone yet, not until there was actually something to tell, so what if they were spotted? 

"We'll just say it's a gift for a friend of yours in Maria" Levi answered trying to steady his voice, Eren nodded in agreement and they finally approached the table. Levi looked down at the finely sewn clothes in their array of colours... there were so many different types, Levi swallowed, he had no clue what they would even need.

"You two look a little lost" a kind feminine voice called out to them making both Eren and Levi jump nervously, they felt like they had been caught doing something they weren't meant to. Levi looked over at the older woman, she was small with brown hair, freckles and a kind smile. He frowned at her not having any clue what to say or do, he was in totally unfamiliar territory and he wasn't liking it.

"I can help if you want" she continued gently, her eyes flitting from Levi's frown to Eren's now flushed face. Levi knew she probably recognised them but he was grateful she wasn't drawing attention to it. Eren was silent and Levi knew he was about to bolt. No, they had come to look... Eren had wanted to look.

"Uh... a friend's having a kid" Levi started, trying to explain their needs without actually explaining them.

The woman just smiled in understanding, "Not sure what to get them?" Levi nodded shortly at her while Eren stayed much too quiet beside him.

"OK, is this their first child?" she asked, cheerfully going to work to help them. Levi nodded again- apparently words were too hard right now. "That's so nice! Well, if it's their first I'm sure they probably have everything- they'd be so excited they probably started buying stuff the moment they found out! But you can never have too many clothes with the first one and quilts are always a beautiful gift". 

She looked up to see if they were following and was met with Levi's blank stare and Eren's now very frightened expression. They were in so far over their heads- they hadn't done anything. They didn't know anything. Fuck, they didn't even know what half of this stuff was for. The woman was studying them carefully, taking in their faces and postures- she had seen it before.

"It's OK if you're here for yourself" she said gently and they both snapped their eyes up to meet hers, "I promise it's not as scary as it seems right now".

"What... how?" Eren stammered and she chuckled lightly at him.

"Oh, I've seen that look so many times before... it's the look of two soon-to-be parents scared shitless" she replied happily, Levi broke out of his haze at her language and almost smiled. Maybe it would be OK to try and explain.

"We don't have a fucking clue" Levi sighed.

"Most parents don't" she replied.

"We don't have anything, ma'am, I don't even know what sizes to get" Eren whispered politely but Levi heard the strain in his voice.

"Well, I can help you out as much as you want" she offered and Eren brightened a little. "I'm Lynne" she greeted.

"Eren" Eren answered quickly as if she might retract her offer "this is Levi".

"It's lovely to meet you Eren and you as well Levi" she said and immediately got to work. Lynne was amazing, she didn't ask many questions and never pried into their lives. Levi was sure by now she knew who she was talking with but it never fazed her, she just kept on talking with them. She told them some of the basics they needed, the clothes to start with and then what they would need as the baby grew. She chattered on with bits and pieces of everything about babies and with each word she said Levi and Eren began to relax a little.

They didn't want to buy much today as they thought it was still a little early but Lynne just smiled and continued to help them. They did leave with a few things, just token items to help them feel even the tiniest bit more prepared. Eren had fallen in love with a stuffed green rabbit that was made out of the softest fabric Levi had ever felt and Levi had been eyeing the clothes carefully. They didn't know whether they were having a boy or a girl, besides Levi didn't really like pink or blue anyway. But it posed a serious problem- did they buy clothes now or after it was born? The clothes all seemed to be either very girly or muted blues and Levi wasn't really fussed on either of them for their kid.

Then he spotted a small table of green fabric, he glanced at the rabbit Eren was holding and narrowed his eyes at the clothes. Green could work for now. He wandered over to look and Lynne drifted over with him.

"This one would be the right size" she said softly, picking up the tiny light green romper. Levi took it from her carefully and looked it over... it was awfully cute. He sighed in defeat knowing that if anyone found out about this he would never live it down. Eren wandered over as well and looked at the little clothes Levi held, he smiled.

"I like the green" he said quietly to Levi.

Levi looked to Lynne who smiled happily "The romper and the rabbit?" Levi nodded and handed over the money. She packaged their items up into a small bag so that no one would be able to tell what they bought unless they searched through it.

"Thankyou Lynne" Eren said, he was back to his excited self now "You've been an amazing help".

"It was nothing, dear. Don't hesitate to come back if you need anything or even if you just want to talk" she replied sincerely and Eren beamed. He was holding on to their new little bag quite tightly and his smile had returned in full force.

"Thankyou Lynne, we'll be sure to come back if we need anything" Levi promised knowing full well that in the future they would be buying most of what they needed from her. Eren had waved goodbye and was walking away when Levi heard his name.

"Captain Levi?" It was Lynne. He turned to face her once more. "I just... well, I assume you don't want this news to spread... and it's just... I want you to know I won't say a word. So, don't worry about any rumours coming from me, OK?" she finished steadily. Levi offered her a small smile and quick nod before he walked away to catch up with Eren. 

They caught up with Armin and Jean who hadn't even noticed they were missing and Petra who eyed them thoughtfully. Levi ignored her and started organizing everyone to head home, there were grumbles and sighs as they accepted it was time to leave and everyone walked slowly back to their horses. Levi couldn't help glancing at the little bag Eren was still carrying and thinking of the baby that would be on its way soon.

 

***

 

They had to drop all of their shopping in their room before heading down for lunch, Eren had wanted to stay longer but unfortunately Levi and Petra both had duties to return too. It didn't really matter, though, because Eren had an amazing time. He was still running on a high from being outside of the base and seeing more of Trost, not to mention all of the shopping they had done. Not even Jean's constant snark and complaining was enough to bring him down.

Eren and Levi placed all of their bags onto the coffee to organise later, right now Eren needed more food and Levi had to rush to a meeting with Erwin. Levi kissed him goodbye at the mess hall entrance and strode away, he was already running late and had no time to eat. Eren sighed as Levi walked away wishing he weren't so busy all the time but snapped out of it quickly when he heard his name being called.

"Eren!" Armin called out behind him and Eren met him with an easy smile, Jean was following with an irritated expression on his face.

"I don't see why we couldn't stay in town" he grumbled "I'm plenty capable of protecting us if anything happened".

"Fuck, Jean, I'm not explaining it again" Eren exclaimed, Jean was starting to piss him off. He had told Jean at least three times now that they couldn't be alone in Trost if there was even the slightest hint of danger, that if anything happened it would impact their alliance badly and that no, Jean was not enough protection. He didn't mention that Levi would never leave Eren alone out there without a proper protection detail after what happened the last time.

"Look, let's just eat some food. There's people I want you to meet" Eren said, his voice tinged with annoyance. Armin smiled at the idea while Jean just grunted and followed them inside.

It only took about thirty seconds before he heard his name being called again. This time it was Reiner and he was standing up to get Eren's attention, Eren waved back and then went to get food. Armin and Jean followed his every step and were close behind him as he sat down, they managed to take the seats on either side.

"You brought people" Sasha commented, studying Armin and Jean carefully.

"Armin, Jean this is everyone. Everyone, this is Armin and Jean" Eren introduced lazily before setting into his food. Sasha took over after that doing a very similar introduction to the one she had given Eren the first time he sat there. When she reached Marco however Eren noticed that Jean's gaze lingered on the freckled boys, Eren stopped eating to watch them. As Jean leaned over to shake Marco's hand (which he hadn't done for anyone else) Eren's defence's went up and he instantly knocked Jean's hands away and made him fall on the floor.

"The fuck was that for, Yeager?!" Jean yelled from the ground while half of the recruits laughed and the other half stared at them open mouthed. Armin just rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"No. You keep your dirty hands off Marco. He is sweet and innocent and much to good for you" Eren snapped. Jean hauled himself to his feet and sat back down again.

"Fuck, I was just being friendly" Jean growled.

"I've known you a long time Jean and you are not a friendly person" Eren said firmly, "So just keep your hands to yourself". Jean was grumbling angrily but his cheeks had a light blush at being called out by Eren. 

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Connie asked suddenly "So, you two are from Maria?".

"Jean's in the military and I work with Princess Mikasa" Armin told them politely. Eren chuckled at his formal tone, he would have to get over that fairly quickly if he wanted to survive at this table.

"Military, huh? I bet I could take you" Reiner teased Jean, who was now staring at the many muscles all over Reiner's large body.

Connie sniggered "Screw that, I could probably take him".

Sasha joined in laughing "Me too, I want a go!"

Jean was flushing red in anger; "Fine, go ahead! I could win against any of you anyway".

Reiner grinned with all of his teeth and then nudged the small, blonde girl next to him "Hear that, Annie, Maria over there thinks he can take any of us". Annie actually glanced up, her expression was cold and vague as she looked Jean over. She sniffed.

"If he wants to be beaten so badly, I guess I can do it" she said indifferently before going back at her food and continuing to eat. There was silence at the table for a few moments before everyone besides Annie, Jean and Armin started laughing.

"This is going to be brilliant!" Ymir exclaimed.

"Ooh, we should totally be selling tickets to see this!" Sasha shouted and Connie nodded in agreement.

"You up for this, horseface?" Eren joined in grinning, he had only seen Annie fight in practice but knew she could easily take Jean. In fact, more than wanting to see Jean fall on his face he wanted to see Annie and Mikasa go one on one. There weren't many people who could take his sister and Annie might put up a good fight, he thought Levi might even be up for a bit of a struggle against her. He would beat her but it would be an interesting fight to watch.

"Of course I'm up for it" Jean yelled, he looked more relaxed at the idea of fighting Annie over Reiner and Eren just laughed at how wrong Jean was. This was going to be awesome to watch but he would definitely need to organise a way to get Mika here and versing Annie. The rest of lunch was happy and familiar; Armin was now talking cheerfully with anyone who spoke to him, Jean was trying to get Marco's attention but Eren kept interrupting not wanting Jean to corrupt their innocent friend and everyone was talking freely and teasing each other as if they'd all been friends for years.

He glanced around the hall and noticed Historia eating quietly in the corner with Dr Ilse and Nifa. He sighed, he would have to make an effort to talk with her soon, him and Levi both. It was important they get to know each other and hopefully become friendly, not to mention that he was really curious about her. But it could wait for the moment, he just wanted to enjoy lunch without worrying about babies or the future. For the moment eating with his friends was enough.


	24. I'll Be Waiting

Eren woke up to Levi's soft voice "Eren, I'm so sorry but I have to leave". The words shook him awake quickly and he peered over at his husband, Levi was fully dressed in his military uniform from his boots to his forest green cloak.

"What? Where are you going?" Eren whispered, his voice croaky.

"Recon mission, we have some information that I've been asked to check out. I'll be gone for a few days" Levi answered and Eren stumbled up into a sitting position.

"A few days?" he whispered sadly.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's sudden but I promise I'll be back as soon as possible" Levi consoled moving forward to sit on the bed and put his arms around Eren, "You have Armin here and your friends, you'll be fine".

Eren didn't want to admit it but he knew he was pouting, he didn't want Levi to go anywhere, especially somewhere that could be dangerous but that was his husbands job and he tried to be supportive.

"You'll be careful right?" Eren murmured and Levi sighed as the tension broke.

"Of course, it's purely an intelligence mission, there should be no danger" Levi reassured him.

"Alright, then I guess I'll see you in a few days?" Eren murmured pulling away a little to look at Levi's face.

"Three days maximum and I'll be back" Levi promised and Eren nodded and tried for a smile. Levi got up and with a quick kiss he started gathering up his bags and headed for the door.  Eren watched as Levi walked out of their bedroom, he heard his feet moving to their front room and the door creaking open. As he listened his heart started to pound a little harder, Levi's job was dangerous, what if he didn't come back? What if something happened? He knew there was nothing he could do about it but he would be damned if the last image of his husband was a quick kiss and a retreating back.

And so, in nothing but his underwear he jumped out of bed and tore after his husband. He pulled open the front door and almost ran headlong into Levi who was just outside.

"Eren?" was all Levi managed to say before Eren was kissing him. He kissed him deeply and passionately, his still stiff arm wrapped around Levi's neck and his good hand in Levi's hair. Levi responded eagerly and almost automatically to the kiss before he realised where he was and who was watching, he pulled back quickly to look at Eren. Eren was staring intensely at him, his hand still in Levi's hair, he moved his fingers and his thumb through the soft raven hair gently and moved his head back a little.

"Be safe" Eren whispered but his voice was strong and Levi knew not to disagree. Before Levi could do anything but nod Eren had leaned back in to kiss him softly and then turned back to their rooms, leaving Levi a mess in the hallway.

"Uh, sir... we should get going" a voice coughed awkwardly from behind him, Levi spun around to glare at Eld and Gunther who were both very red in the face and shifting nervously. Levi had never been one for public displays of affection, getting caught in the stables had cured him of any lingering desires for that, he liked being with Eren in the privacy of their own home not to mention he _did_ have a reputation to keep up in front of his soldiers.  Getting caught in such an intimate moment with his husband was a little too much for him to handle, his face flushed red and he immediately got pissed at the two men for simply being present.

"Not a word" he growled at them as he turned on his heel and stormed away, Eren's goodbye kiss still tingling his lips.

 

***

 

Eren's day started off bad and as he rolled out of bed later to go down for breakfast he just hoped it would end up better. He was in a terrible mood, grumpily playing with his food and when someone tried to speak to him he only gave short, stiff answers. Sasha made the mistake of asking what was wrong and he just looked up and glared at her angrily. He knew it wasn't their fault but he couldn't help the anger and sadness when he remembered that Levi was going to away for three days and he didn't think he would ever get used to it. It wasn't just him being away either, it was the fact that he was on a mission and recon or not there was always an element of danger in Levi's job which just made that knot of worry in Eren's stomach intensify.

His friends soon made the connection when they reached training and there was a replacement for Levi, they shot sympathetic smiles his way as he sat on the sidelines but soon enough Eren was bored and annoyed so he walked away. It wasn't any fun watching training without having Levi there to drool over so he made his way back to his room. He started unpacking all of their shopping from the day before and putting it away, when he reached the little bag which contained their child's first outfit and toy he ended up sitting on the floor against the wall. He stared at the green fabric with a dopey smile plastered on his face as he thought about what their future held; he got so deep he ended up imagining their little baby dressed in the green romper cuddling the toy in bed. He shook himself and packed the items away for later- he really shouldn't be so excited yet, there wasn't even an actual baby _to_  be excited about!

He placed the little bag in the spare room and walked out quickly before his brain took over and he started planning out the room- he couldn't have Levi return home to him having gone full baby crazy.  Thinking of the baby made his thoughts turn to Historia, so he decided to find her and try and make an effort to get to know her a little better. He could make a start at least.

He found her at the edge of the base reading under a tree, she looked up as he approached and smiled cautiously.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Eren asked politely, she shook her head and closed her book. "You found a nice spot out here" Eren tried, his voice a little too nervous to be completely casual.

"I thought I'd try and get away from the Doctors for awhile, they're lovely but they do tend to have a one track mind" Historia replied smiling.

Eren laughed lightly completely understanding her need for peace and quiet "I can leave if you want? Let you have some peace?" he offered.

She shook her head "No, it's fine, I would actually love some company". Eren smiled at her and they were silent, sitting comfortably if a little awkward under the shade of the tree.

"Historia?" Eren started and then bit his lip, "You don't have to answer but I was wondering... umm... well, I was curious about..." Eren stammered not sure how to phrase his question.

"Why I agreed to this?" she finished and he nodded, "It's OK, it's actually fairly simple in the end. My father is Rod Reiss". The name made Eren's mouth drop open a little and it astounded him how he hadn't connected the names yet. Years ago Rod Reiss was a very prominent and good man in Maria but after his wife and 5 children had been killed in an accident, he had  mentally  gone off the deep end. He had been unstable and aggressive and eventually ended up badly hurting a young woman, he had been arrested but in lieu of the circumstances he had been locked up in a hospital ward for his own protection and others. Eren didn't even realise he had another child, although he wasn't altogether surprised in realising the man had an illegitimate daughter.

"My mother was a servant in my father's house, after she found out about me she was forced to leave and return to my grandparents farm. She wasn't a good mother to me, she ignored me my whole life and I think she resented having me around. I was fine for most of my life, I worked on the farm and earned my keep but when I was 18 my grandfather died and a month later my grandmother followed. My mother didn't seem to care about anything and so the farm was sold and we had to leave. It was then my mother abandoned me and I actually haven't seen her since.

I tried to get a job but nobody wanted a bastard girl working for them plus they thought my father was crazy so I changed my last name to Lenz and tried again, I was eventually hired to work as a maid in a noble household, it was fine for a few months before their son noticed me. He took a liking to me and continually made advances but I rejected him and well, it made him angry. He made up lies about me and I was fired. Nothing he said was true and everybody knew it but he was noble and I was a nobody, they believed he had more to lose from a bad reputation, I was already marked by my father's image so it didn't seem to matter if a little more was added on top. I couldn't find work after that as rumours spread and nobody wanted to hire a girl like me. It was when I had been on the street for a few days that I heard about surrogacy, it seemed like a good option at the time and honestly it was getting to the point where it was either that or starving to death. So, I cleaned myself up as much as possible and went to talk to them, I met Dr Ilse straight away and she instantly took me in without question. She gave me a room and food and time to think and recover. It was her kindness, I think, that made up my mind and I wanted to do something kind for someone else. Then she told me how I would be set up for life afterwards, I would have money and the ability to move somewhere new and start over and all I would have to do was give someone something they desperately wanted. It honestly felt like a pretty good deal to me".

She finished her little speech and looked over at Eren whose mouth was dropped open and he was staring at her, she giggle lightly "Didn't think I would be quite so open?" she asked and Eren just shook his head. She shrugged "I'm not ashamed of my past, it's part of who I am and it led me here, it's put me on the path to good things so why not talk about it?"

Eren just shook his head in amazement, this girl was not much younger than him and she had been through so much in her life and yet she was still sitting next to him smiling happily and looking to the future.

"But the baby... you're not worried you'll get attached?" Eren whispered nervously, it had been something that had been worrying him since the start.

Historia turned to face Eren completely, her eyes showing just how serious she was taking his question, "I was concerned at the start, I thought 'how could I possibly carry a child for 9 months and then just give it away', I thought I would be a terrible mother and that my child would hate me forever for giving them up so easily but then I realised, I'm not this child's mother.  I wont be a parent to this baby, that's your job and your husbands, I'm just helping things along".   


Eren blinked, very confused but Historia smiled gently and kept going.

"When I have my own children I want to be happy and ready and with someone I love, I'm not at the moment, and I would never take away someone else's happiness so selfishly. I would never be able to provide the life and love that you two would at this time in my life and I am honestly not ready for a child. I want stability and a new start, taking your baby away from you would be the worst thing I could do. I don't deny that it's going to hurt, the next nine months will be some of the most painful in my life but what all of us get out of it will make it worth it.

I've seen the way you and Captain Levi are around each other and I can see the love you have, you are so lucky, Your Highness, to have found someone you care for that much. I think I'll be happy in knowing that I've helped in my own way and given you something you want. I've come to realise that being a parent is so much more than biology and that the best thing I can do for this baby will be to give it to you and then to walk away".

Eren was silent, taking in everything that Historia said. She had been so honest with him, he felt guilty not telling her the whole truth about how they all came to be in this situation and he wanted to give her something of him in return. He looked at her and knew he could trust her, so he took a deep breath, hoped what he was about to say didn't change anything and started talking:

"Levi and I didn't ask you to come here, my father requested it" he began slowly and Historia turned to look at him surprise. "He surprised us with a visit and cornered Levi and I into agreeing to this. We weren't ready to be parents yet and we used the baby to negotiate a deal, we said we'd agree if my father agreed to a few of our conditions in return. Historia, my father isn't a good man, he's been different since my mum died, he's aggressive and cruel and he takes it out on me. We made him agree to stay out of our lives and any of our children's, it was originally for selfish reasons but my father won't ever have any influence over my family again, I don't think Levi would allow it".

He paused and glanced at her face, she was silent and deep in thought as she listened to his words.

"We didn't ask for this child but since it's happening, Levi and I have come to accept it. It's still very new and scary, we're still coming around to the idea and we have really only known each other for a short time but it feels sort of right, now. I want this baby, as much of a surprise as it was, and I know that Levi does as well. I mean, he picked out clothes yesterday" Eren laughed lightly at the memory of Levi holding tiny little outfits, deep in concentration. "I'm excited for this and I really hope that you'll agree to stay here, in spite of what I've told you" Eren finished and focused on the ground, he was waiting for Historia to get up and storm off and tell him she was going home, what he didn't expect was her hand to fall gently over his and grip it tightly.

"I said I would stay and that's what I intend to do, thankyou for telling me the truth, though. It means a lot" she said and Eren looked up at her kind face. "You're going to make a really good father, you know" she said gently and Eren flushed scarlet.

"I'm not sure about that but I'm definitely going to try" Eren replied but it only made Historia smile wider.

"Any child couldn't ask for more than a parent that's trying" she said firmly and squeezed his hand. Eren was stunned by her strength, she was being so positive and supportive that it was really incredible. Eren exhaled deeply, a weight being lifted of his shoulders at their conversation.

"How about you come and have lunch with my friends, although I'm not sure it'll be an improvement on medical conversation?" Eren asked lightly, changing the topic completely.

"I'd like that, thankyou, Your Highness" Historia replied happily.

"It's just Eren and umm..." Eren said and then paused "maybe, not mention the baby? We haven't told anyone else yet and don't intend to until there's actually something to tell. Do you mind if I just say you're a friend from home?"

Historia actually grinned at the idea "That's much better. That conversation would have been really awkward for everyone involved". Eren laughed and nodded his head in agreement. He definitely was not looking forward to telling his friends that yes, he was having a kid, and yes, Historia was going to carry it. That was definitely going to wait for another day. He stood up and helped Historia to her feet and together they walked to the dining hall, Eren feeling much happier than before although his stomach was still in worried knots over Levi being away.

He introduced Historia to everybody and sat down to eat, she was welcomed easily but Eren started feeling guilty as he watched Ymir talk with her. He saw the interest on her face and her smile seemed wider as she interacted with the smaller blonde. Eren shifted in his seat nervously and just hoped Ymir didn't get too attached before she found out Historia was actually going to be pregnant soon.

"It'll work out" Armin whispered next to him and Eren jumped. "I know you Eren, I know what you look like when you worry. Don't worry about Historia, she's strong, she'll be fine". Eren nodded but that guilty feeling made a home right next to his knot of worry about Levi.

 

***

 

The pouring rain was pissing Levi off. He'd been gone for almost three days now and he knew that if the rain kept up they would have no way to get back to Military Base anytime soon. His thoughts went to Eren as they had done a lot in the past three days and his lips turned up at images of Eren's smile and laugh. He knew how worried Eren was going to be when they didn't get back on time, he knew that he would probably be a mess of concern and anger at Levi having broken his promise, Eren's thoughts would be going over every horrible situation he could think up. 

Levi sighed and glanced around at his companions. Everybody looked pretty annoyed at the intense rain and he saw angry glares at the increasingly muddy road but there was nothing they could do. They wouldn't risk hurting the horses just to get back to base quicker when they could all return safely just by waiting a few days. Nobody had even tried speaking to Levi since last night and he had given up hope of returning on time, he had been in an utterly foul mood ever since and it wasn't worth getting yelled at.

He could only sit and hope the rain would clear up soon, that the roads would dry out and he could return as fast as possible and ease Eren's panic. The recon mission had been pointless, the information they had been given was false and nothing whatsoever was wrong- that pissed Levi off even more. If the mission had at least been useful then he could return feeling a little better but the way it was he was just fucking cranky.

"Soon, Eren, I'll be back as soon as I can" he thought and closed his eyes to try and find some sleep.

 


	25. Fire and Rain

The first day Levi was gone went pretty smoothly despite Eren's initial bad mood- his conversation with Historia had really helped to ease his worry for a little while. He spent the afternoon in the library doing more research on surrogacy and business in order to help him in furthering his mothers organisation in Trost but he was distracted. Once every few minutes he would glance up and out of the window he was sitting under to check the yard- he didn't have a direct view of the stables but he could see enough to notice if they had returned. He went to bed alone that night and got very little sleep, even though it had only been a short time he had gotten used to having Levi next to him, he missed Levi's warmth and the bed just felt too big without him there.

The second day he was gone went painfully slow. He tried more research in the library but ended up staring out of the window more often than not- his friends managed to distract him during meals and Armin followed him back to the library after lunch to help with both research and his growing worry. He knew Levi might not be back today but he was holding out hope that just maybe he would come riding through the front gates at any moment. He was silent and brooding during dinner and every time he heard someone enter the hall he would spin around quickly and when it wasn't Levi he would turn back to his food in silence. Armin spent the evening in his loungeroom where they talked for hours catching each other up on the more minor details of their lives- he managed to make Eren laugh a few times over silly stories that he told about his life in Maria since Eren had left. Eren found himself confiding in Armin about what was going on in his head, like he had always done, and for a few hours he wasn't worried about Levi. When Armin left he tried to sleep but again his bed was too big and cold, he ended up grabbing a few blankets, curling up on the lounge and grabbing a few hours of sleep there instead.

The third day went even worse than the second- time seemed to drag on for an eternity but this time it was because Eren was excited. Levi had promised no more than three days which meant he would be home today, Eren was smiling happily for most of the day knowing that he would get to see Levi at some point. But as the hours went by and there was no Levi he began to get nervous, his mind began concocting so many different images about what could have happened to make him late that he was getting overwhelmed. Armin was right beside him all day trying to take his mind off Levi but it didn't work. He tried reasoning with himself saying that it was normal, that there could be so many simple reasons as to why Levi wasn't back but it didn't help. He rested on the lounge again that night- Armin had offered to keep him companying but Eren declined knowing he would not be able to sleep well until Levi was back plus he didn't want to explain why he was sleeping on the couch instead of his bed.

The fourth day Levi was gone he sat by the stable reading. He had reasoned with himself during his last sleepless night that Levi would be fine, he was strong and extremely capable and if they had run into problems Levi could handle it. He knew Levi could handle anything. But he  _had_  decided to kick his ass for making him worry and wanted to be front and centre when he returned in order to do just that. So he sat calmly by the stable with his book propped up on his legs and his eyes constantly glancing up to check the road. His friends were being very supportive- all of them had experienced what he was feeling in one way or another so the tried to let him be to get his mind around his situation. Eren just couldn't come to terms with the idea that this would be a regular occurrence- Levi could be called away at any moment and he would have to wait patiently for his return not knowing if he was OK until he saw him again. He didn't sleep much that night either, he just tossed and turned on his makeshift bed and let the knot of worry in his stomach grow bigger and bigger.

The fifth day he was gone Hange cornered him and forced him to accompany her all day, he was dragged along everywhere she went and she constantly talked to him and asked him questions. She was very distracting and Eren found that he hadn't spent all that much time worrying instead he had been laughing with Hange and trying to avoid awkward questions he knew she was bound to try and ask. She went to the effort of looking at his arm as well and with some small exercises deemed she could unbandage it and let Eren start using it again. She didn't help at all though when he had to got to bed that night and his thoughts came crashing down on him and worry consumed him again. By this point he was almost certain Levi was hurt in some way or that something bad had happened to them but he was left to sit on his lounge knowing he wasn't even allowed off base.

The sixth and seventh days it rained. It rained so hard and heavy that Eren was confined to stay inside, it actually suited him just fine as he stayed alone in his room wallowing in equal amounts of annoyance, worry and anger. Why wasn't Levi back? He had promised 3 days but it had been double that now. He didn't answer the door when someone knocked and spent way too much time by his window staring in hope that he would see Levi. But he didn't. Levi still hadn't returned.

Dr Ilse found him on the eighth day by practically forcing he way through the door and inside his rooms, she then grabbed his hand and dragged him outside. She led him all they way to her temporary medical rooms where she sat him down and started talking. It wasn't about Levi at all but about his mother and their surrogacy agency, she told him stories from when they were younger and how his mother had run her business. Eren listened intently and even offered up his ideas about continuing it in Trost, Dr Ilse immediately brightened at that and they spent the whole day brainstorming ideas and coming up with plans as to how Eren would start. He was excited again, his brain teeming with ideas about what to do next and it was so distracting he actually managed to fall asleep thinking about it. He was woken up a few hours later from a nightmare about Levi getting hurt and wasn't able to get any more sleep afterwards.

On the ninth day he was exhausted, mentally and physically. He couldn't keep his eyes open and yet he couldn't sleep, he wanted to be calm and stop worrying but he could turn his brain off. He was angry at Levi for breaking his promise but he was so worried that something terrible had happened that he felt like breaking down and crying. His friends were all stepping on eggshells around him, they never said anything to his face but he heard the whispers and rumours, he knew what everyone was saying. Something bad had happened to Levi's squad. He didn't sleep at all again that night, he just couldn't. Tiredness was overwhelming him and he was panicking more often than not, he was in a constant state of fear over Levi's fate. The rain had turned to a storm over the last 24 hours and it was wreaking havoc outside, trees were falling and fences breaking, people were staying indoors to keep safe. Armin had kept saying that Levi was just held up by the storm- that the direction he went in Levi would have gotten the storm a few days before us and that he probably just had to take a long way home... Eren wasn't buying it.

The tenth day broke to sunshine and clear blue skies but Levi still wasn't home. Eren was so tired he began falling asleep at breakfast, his whole body felt heavy and useless but his mind was still sharp enough to keep producing scary and life threatening scenarios in which Levi could have gotten into. He went outside again hoping the fresh air would help to clear his mind and wake him up a little but it only helped in putting him to sleep, which in the end was the best thing that could have happened. People who walked past just let him be- they all belonged to the military and they all understood just how hard that first mission was to the one left behind waiting. Eren was coping as best he could with the circumstances and they knew next time it would get a little easier- Eren would learn that Levi would always come home. He was curled in on himself by the stables, his head resting on his knees and his eyes closed tightly as he found a deep sleep- he never even heard the hoofbeats thundering towards him.

 

***

 

The rain turned into a raging storm. They had managed to make their way into a small town and find rooms and shelter for them and their horses but they had no way to contact base and let them know about the delay. Levi had stormed up to his room and slammed the door behind him to let his comrades know not to even think about disturbing him, he was completely pissed off and they definitely did not want to try and interact with him.

They were holed up in their lodgings for 2 days before the storm passed and the roads dried up enough to continue riding. They had started out in the right direction only to find out that trees had fallen over and there was so much damage and debris on the road making it too unsafe to continue that way- they had then turned the horses around and with Levi cursing loudly started on the long way home. 

Ten days. They had been gone for ten days before Levi caught sight of the familiar land surrounding their military base. Ten days in which he made Eren worry and panic about his wellbeing and his safety. There had been no way for them to get a message ahead and Levi just had to accept the fact that he broke his promise to his husband and only hope that Eren would forgive him without too much violence. His thoughts were constantly on the brunette waiting for him and his squad had learnt very quickly not to ask how he as doing- they had managed to help in other ways though. He didn't notice until much later but after they realised their return would be delayed each member of his squad had taken it in turns to subtly reassure him. Sometimes they would say things softly like 'not much longer now' or joke about how close they were getting, they were trying to be cheerful and upbeat for him and after it was over he would definitely have to thank them. They were able to stop him dwelling too hard on Eren and keep him focused on getting back to him as fast as possible.

When the base came into view his lips turned up into a smile for the first time since he'd left and they all silently agreed to nudge their horses and gallop back into base as quickly as they could. They thundered up the road and watched the gate open as they were recognised, they all rode through quickly and were met with a chorus of happy voices. It was the middle of the afternoon on a bright and sunny day and so everyone was outside training or just enjoying the weather, they were all present for their return. Levi looked around frantically but couldn't find the one face he was after. Where the fuck was Eren?

"Glad to see you're back" Erwin greeted, clapping him on the back. "I was starting to get a little worried there for a moment".

"Where's Eren?" Levi asked shortly and Erwin perked up an eyebrow.

"What? No report, no small talk, not even a happy to be back?" Erwin said but Levi could detect the slight teasing tone in his voice.

"Cut the shit, eyebrows, now where the fuck is Eren?" Levi responded, annoyed. He had been gone for ten days- a whole week longer than he had promised and now that he was finally home he couldn't see the one person he needed. A hand tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around and found himself face to face with Hange.

"Levi, honey, he's over there" Hange said happily and pointed to the front entrance to the stable. Levi couldn't see anyone but as his eyes travelled down he noticed a slight figure hunched up and sleeping against the wall. From where he stood he could see Eren looked terrible, his face was pale and his body language told of his exhaustion but Levi sighed in relief at finally seeing him. He was home and Eren was so close, all he had to do was walk over and he would be able to touch him. They were surrounded at the moment with people yelling excitedly, apparently the whole base had been worried about their extended mission, no one like to admit it but there were some serious concerns about their safety, there had even been expressions of interest about sending out a search party. Levi had to push through the small crowd to get to Eren but soon enough he was free and approaching the sleeping bundle on the ground. 

As he reached Eren, he could feel the eyes of the crowd on him, apparently they were all suckers for a good reunion not to mention insanely curious about the relationship their Captain had with the Marian Prince he had married. Levi knelt down in front of Eren and got a better look at him- he looked terrible; his skin was pale and his breathing hard, he looked so tired up close that the guilt Levi had been carrying around came crashing down on him. He had made Eren worry so much he hadn't been able to sleep. Well, if he could do anything he could let him sleep. Hoping Eren didn't wake up he manoeuvred himself in position to pick him up, arms went under knees and around his back and he gently lifted him but it didn't work so well. At the sudden shift Eren woke up instantly and his eyes snapped open, they panicked for a moment before taking in Levi's face and then went wide in recognition.

"You're back" Eren whispered and a smile edged its way onto his face, Levi nodded nervously and let go of his legs so that Eren was standing in front of him. There was silence and then in a moment Eren had punched him in the shoulder hard. "Never fucking do that again!" he growled and then both of his arms wrapped around Levi's neck and Eren threw himself onto Levi, who had to take a step back to steady himself and accidentally stepped on a loose rock. He wobbled dangerously and with Eren's added weight he wasn't able to balance himself in time and as if in slow motion they both fell back, making a steady descent towards the hard ground.

Levi hit the dirt hard and felt Eren's body impact on his own making the air rush out of his lungs. When he regained his breath he looked up and saw Eren's face right above his, he was breathless and smiling, his face looking so much younger with the relief coursing through him.

"Hi" Eren whispered, low and throaty, his smile so genuine.

"Hi" Levi replied and smiled his own genuine smile in return. He was just so fucking happy to be home. And then Eren closed the distance between them to kiss him, his lips kissed back immediately and he felt his entire body respond to Eren's presence and then he remembered they had an audience.

So, he pulled back slightly and whispered "Uh, Eren... as much as I love you can we continue this back in our room... alone". The brunette detached himself a little to look around- when he noticed everyone staring he flushed deep red and nodded quickly at Levi- without saying a word Levi grabbed Eren's hand, pulled him to his feet and without making eye contact with anyone they walked away towards their room.

They didn't say a word until their door was firmly closed and locked behind them and then Levi was attacked in another forceful hug and demanding kiss.

"I'm... not... letting... you... leave... again" Eren said firmly between kisses. 

Levi frowned and pulled back a little to look at Eren seriously "It's my job, Eren, my life".

Eren seemed to consider this and then smiled again "Fine, I'll just have to come with you next time".

Levi eyebrows flew upwards. "I would honestly like nothing better but you're not trained" Levi murmured, actually quite surprised at how honest his words were. He  _would_  actually like nothing better than for him and Eren to both leave together on missions, they would always know that the other was safe or if it came to it, they would be there if the other died. He knew in his heart the last face he wanted to see was Eren's.

"Guess I'll have to get trained then" Eren replied playfully and Levi quirked an eyebrow.

"Really, you'd consider it?" Levi asked seriously and Eren nodded.

"Of course, but not now... we have so many better things to be doing right now" Eren answered and moved in to kiss him again. Levi open his mouth in response to Eren's silent demands and licked his way inside the brunette's mouth. It was hot and heavy and god, how he'd missed it. They stumbled their way towards their bed and fell in a tangled heap of limbs. They were both trying to kiss the other fiercely while simultaneously trying to get rid of all the clothing present- Eren finding it particularly aggravating to rid Levi of his uniform but soon enough clothes were dropped to the floor and forgotten and Levi was hovering over Eren's naked body just taking him in. He couldn't believe how much he had missed him in just ten days and he knew the next time he had to leave it would be so much harder- although, if all of their reunions were like this he might be able to manage.

"I need you, Levi" Eren groaned and wound his legs around Levi's waist. Levi's fingers found their way to Eren's ass, he entered him gently but at Eren's insistence he quickly picked up the pace, his fingers were removed soon after and his cock replaced them. Eren keened under him as he adjusted to the intense pressure that came with Levi slowly thrusting into him, he was overwhelmed and excited and so relieved that in that moment he just wanted Levi as close to him as humanly possible even if it was a little painful. Waves of pleasure racked his body as Levi took over their rhythm, he was pulling out slowly and then thrusting back in fast, Eren moaned and moved his hands to Levi's back. His nails dug in as Levi hit that spot and soon they were dragging down his back, leaving long red marks in their wake.

They were getting sweaty fast, their voices rising in pitch and after 10 days of separation it didn't take either of them long to find their release. Eren's shout was swallowed as Levi covered his lips with his own and grunted in relief as he felt his own release sweep over him. Levi pulled out slowly and rolled over onto his back to lie next to Eren, a happy smile on his face, Eren was grinning dopily next to him.

"If that's what happens when you go away I might be more OK with it next time" Eren chuckled and rolled onto his side so he could face Levi.

Levi laughed "If that's the welcome I get when I come home I might go away more often".

But Eren narrowed his eyes at that and growled out "No, I'm letting you leave here again for at least a month, I won't allow it".

Levi chuckled at his answer and said playfully "Oh, and what are you going to do to stop me?" He saw Eren's eyes spark and that wicked grin spread over his face and before he knew it Eren was on top of him pinning Levi's hands over his head, he smirked and leaned in close.

"I'll just have to make sure you _can't_ go anywhere then, I guess" Eren whispered, his voice low and full of lust. Levi gulped at the image of being completely at Eren's mercy and found that he actually didn't mind it. It was kind of a turn on, in fact. And yepp, his body seemed to like the idea as well. Eren grinned in satisfaction as he felt Levi's body respond to his words and he really wanted to just go and find a tie or belt or really anything that would let him follow through but exhaustion was quickly overtaking him and the initial adrenaline rush of having Levi suddenly reappear was wearing off.

"Hmm... but maybe another time" Eren murmured and let go of Levi to fall on his side and tuck himself against the raven. He felt the warmth radiating around him and sleep overtaking him, the familiar weight of Levi beside him was so unbelievably comforting that all of the sleepless nights were catching up and crashing down on him all at once.

"Eren, are you OK?" Levi's voice had turned from lustful and teasing to worried in an instant as Eren had let go of him and slumped down into bed, he eyed his husband and noticed the extreme bags under his eyes. Eren was completely exhausted.

"Mhmm... just missed a bit of sleep" Eren whispered, his voice already losing volume.

"I can't seem to sleep well without you either" Levi whispered back, kissing Eren's forehead softly. He saw the small smile on Eren's face before it went slack and he knew Eren was dead asleep. Levi stayed up for awhile just keeping an eye on Eren and basking in the feeling of being home and having Eren in his arms again, he had never felt so attached to the base before, had never really needed to get home so quickly but now he felt reluctant to even consider another mission let alone take one again any time soon. Especially if they had their child coming soon he really didn't want to leave his family alone for an unknown amount of time. He sighed deeply and put the thoughts out of his mind, it was something to think on another day. Right now, he needed to catch up on some much needed sleep and then hopefully go another few rounds with Eren in the morning.


	26. Right as Rain

Golden sunlight streamed through their open window as morning broke, they had fallen asleep early last night and awoken at almost the break of dawn but they didn't dare move. They only managed to shift closer to each other and bask in the warm body and presence of their loved one. Levi had wound himself around Eren during the night and currently had his head resting on Eren's chest his right hand playing with the silver chain always present while Eren had moved his recently freed left hand and intertwined it with Levi's left where he absently played with their wedding bands.

They had peace, the type of peace and comfort not easily found but always sought after. Eren had a lazy smile on his face and Levi was completely relaxed, they were both finally resting after a long ten days of worry and sleepless nights.

"What happened?" Eren murmured, his fingers tracing along Levi's gold ring "you promised three days". It wasn't an accusation but a simple question, a need Eren had, to know what had kept Levi from coming home.

"I tried but the weather turned bad and I couldn't make it... I would have walked home if it were quicker. I swear to you I didn't want to break my promise" Levi answered softly, tangling his slim fingers in the silver chain. "We stayed at an inn until the weather cleared but we had to take the long route back as the other road was severely damaged by the storm and we didn't want any harm to come to the horses".

"I didn't think I would be that worried" Eren whispered "I knew you would come back but my head wouldn't stop making things up and making me worry that something had happened to you".

"I'm sorry I made you worry and I'm so sorry I broke my promise" Levi replied quietly but Eren was shaking his head.

"We'll be careful from now on to not make promises we can't keep, it will be easier next time" Eren said softly.

"Next time? I thought I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without you" Levi laughed and Eren grinned in return.

"I've realised that's probably not realistic but I can work on being stronger and learning to trust you to always come home" Eren said, his voice firm and steady.

"And I promise I will always do my best to get home as soon as I'm able" Levi said seriously. They lay together as the sun rose but neither of them wanted to do more than just stay in bed and let the day pass them by.

"Hey Levi, can I tell you a secret?" Eren whispered and Levi tilted his head up a little in order to see Eren's face.

"Of course" he replied and Eren smiled softly.

"I'm actually kind of excited about the baby" he murmured and Levi could hear the nerves taking hold of his voice at his admission but Levi could only breathe a sigh of relief that Eren had admitted it first.

"Can I tell you a secret, too?" Levi whispered back and watched Eren slowly nod his head, "I'm excited as well".

"Really? Because I keep catching myself thinking about things" Eren said, excited "like buying more clothes and painting the spare room and setting it up as a nursery. It's crazy but I'm really happy this is happening, I mean, I'm scared shitless but in a good way". Levi chuckled, low and deep, as Eren's excited voice ran through him.  

"I thought about it on my way back here" Levi began softly and felt Eren shift under him, "I thought about how nice it would be to come home and see you holding a tiny little version of yourself to welcome me back... like a real family". Levi felt himself blushing at his confession but didn't mind so much because only Eren would see plus he wanted him to know just how much he wanted this as well.

"A real family... I hardly know what that is" Eren muttered.

Levi turned so that his chest lay on Eren's and he could look down at the brunette, "Me either... but I think it's possible with you". Eren grinned happily and leaned his head up to meet Levi in a soft kiss, slowly they deepened it and Levi couldn't help pushing Eren down into the mattress to drape his entire body over him. He felt Eren's low moan more than he heard it as his voice reverberated through his body, he could almost feel Eren's heart beating louder against his chest and he could definitely hear it. Eren's hands found their way into his hair and were swiftly carding through it while Levi's couldn't help tangling themselves further into the silver chain and trying to pull Eren closer.

Eren pulled back a little and murmured quietly "I had an idea... and you can say no if you want... but what if- what if we just let Dr Ilse do her work and see what happens?"

Levi's eyes widened a fraction "You mean, we don't try and stall for time?"

Eren nodded nervously.

"That means we could have a baby in the next room in less than a year" Levi clarified and Eren just nodded again. "You sure?" Another nod.

"Alright".

"Wait, what?!" Eren exclaimed pushing on Levi's chest until they were sitting up, Levi had shifted so that he was sitting on Eren's lap with his legs on either side of the brunette's body. "You can't just agree that easily, it's a huge deal!" Eren cried.

Levi pulled in a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, half in frustration and half in amusement, "but you brought it up" he said dryly.

"I know that! I just thought you'd put up a little resistance!" Eren continued, his voice still strained and louder than usual.

"Did you  _want_  me to be resistant to it?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no" Eren answered sheepishly and then continued with his voice much lower "but I made up some really good arguments to convince you".

Both of Levi's eyebrows flew up in amazement, "So, you're not worried I agreed so easily... you're annoyed because you didn't get to use your well thought out arguments?"

Eren blushed deeply and fidgeted a little under Levi's heavy gaze, "I spent a lot of time coming up with them and now they're useless" he grumbled. Levi couldn't help it, he laughed- Eren looked so annoyed and it was just too cute for Levi to ignore.

"You're such an idiot" he breathed out on a laugh and moved forward to attack Eren's lips with his own. Eren gasped in surprise but easily melted into Levi's embrace, his arms winding around Levi's back, Levi moved his body up a little and then back down so that his ass was directly on Eren's crotch. They hadn't bothered wearing clothes to bed in a long time, fully committing to their no clothes policy, and it was at moments like these Levi was thankful for not having to go that extra step to have Eren naked and underneath him. He could feel how hard Eren was getting against him and their position allowed for Levi take full advantage. His hand dipped down between them and easily gripped both of their cocks in his cool palm, he heard Eren moan at the contact and break away from his lips to let his head fall against Levi's chest, not able to concentrate on both the kiss and his rising arousal at the same time. 

Eren just tried to breath, every now and then a low 'fuck' or broken "Le-vi" would fall from his lips but Levi wouldn't stop, his own breath turning a little ragged as he ran his hands up and down their lengths in the same motion. He knew Eren was getting close but it was then he had an idea; he remembered a conversation they had had a while ago and Levi found himself wanting to give Eren something plus he was kind of curious about it.

He stopped moving his hand but kept them close together, Eren peered up at him in question but Levi just leaned forward and kissed him deeply. While Eren was distracted with the kiss, Levi extended his hand to their bedside table and tried to grab the oils they always seemed to have at easy access but his hand could quite reach.

"Fuck" he cursed, having to pull away from Eren in order to stretch his arm out further to grab the bottle. Eren noticed what Levi had in his hand and smiled brightly at the implication, last night had not nearly been enough after 10 days apart, he tried to move into a better position under Levi but a solid hand on his shoulder made him stay where he was.

"Levi-" Eren said curiously but Levi just shook his head and kissed him again.

"I thought I might take you up on your offer" Levi said, his voice low and deep. Eren remained confused, so Levi thought maybe a demonstration would help. He lightly took Eren's hand in his and poured some oil onto his fingers, he rubbed their hands together to make sure they were all slicked up. Eren still looked slightly lost until the moment Levi had pulled Eren's hand to his ass and pressed it right up against his entrance.

"Oh, fuck" Eren moaned, all of a sudden completely comprehending what was about to happen "Are you sure?" he gasped, looking intently at Levi.

Levi didn't bother answering but instead willingly forced Eren's finger inside himself. They both gasped at the feeling and Levi had to stop himself from moving away immediately, the sensation was strange and tight and holy fuck, how did Eren manage to do this? He let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding and before he could think of what to do next Eren had taken over and started moving his finger. It moved gently and cautiously, trying to find the right spots to hit while stretching him out a little at a time and slowly Levi started to get used to the pressure. 

"Is this OK?" Eren murmured, his lips close to Levi's ear, Levi just nodded sharply and moved his hips a little while Eren pressed his finger in further. Soon enough, he felt Eren pressing a second finger slowly inside and he took deep breaths to try and calm down his hammering heart. They stayed that way for awhile with Eren slowly scissoring his fingers inside Levi making him groan at the intensity, it wasn't as tight now but it was still a little uncomfortable and Levi was starting to get frustrated with himself and a little impatient, he just wanted to be able to do this for Eren. Without thinking too much on it, Levi lifted himself up and away from Eren's fingers, he moved his hand to Eren's cock and after rubbing some oil over it, he gripped it gently and slowly lined himself up. With a sharp intake of breath Levi lowered himself down and held his breath as he guided Eren's cock inside him.

"Oh fuck" they both groaned as their bodies met. Eren was completely overwhelmed with new sensations while Levi had closed his eyes in preparation for the initial discomfort, he hadn't managed to lower himself any further than the tip but as he opened his eyes and took in Eren's lust-filled face he managed to take another deep breath and keep going. Eren's hands were on Levi's hips helping to keep him steady or to help him pull away if he needed too but Levi didn't want to go anywhere. He inhaled deeply and pushed his body further slowly accepting Eren's entire length until he sat on Eren's lap full to the hilt. 

"Fuck" Levi moaned and dropped his head to Eren's chest. The brunette's hands were rubbing circles comfortingly over his back and hips while his lips murmured soothing words in his ear. Levi couldn't move, he felt too full and his stomach was fluttering in waves, he just tried breathe and concentrate on Eren who he was now being completely overwhelmed by. He tried shifting his hips and heard Eren's low moan in his ear, the sound was enough to make him smile and refocus on what he was doing, this was all for Eren. And as he moved again and heard another moan he realised just how much power he could potentially have over Eren in this position. He moved his hands to Eren's shoulders and clasped them tightly around his neck hoping for a little leverage, he felt Eren's hands back on his hips, gripping them tightly, and as their eyes met and Levi nodded his OK, Eren dug his finger's in tighter and Levi knew there would be light bruises there later.

Levi lifted himself up on his knees until only the tip of Eren's cock remained inside him, he smirked a little at Eren's flustered face and then dropped himself back down quickly.

"OH FUCK!" Eren cried as Levi groaned, low and guttural. He had to take a moment to regain his breath and his composure but before long he had risen up on his knees again and slammed down harder this time hitting that amazing spot inside himself, eliciting a loud cry from both of them. Levi still felt a little too full but the discomfort had faded entirely and the pleasure now spread over his body until all of his thoughts were consumed with it and mixing in with the noises Eren was making. Levi was starting to understand why Eren was more than OK to keep his original position if this was the sensation he had gotten, he could feel him hard and thick inside him and knew that they were both getting close to finishing.

He stayed seated on Eren's lap to try and enjoy the moment, his hand went to his face and his fingers slowly traced over his cheek, Eren blinked and then focused on him, his eyes seeming too bright and too vivid in the morning sunlight. Levi smiled and realised just how incredibly happy he felt whenever he was with Eren, he was the only person in his life that made him actually feel completely alive. His brilliant smile seemed to cut straight through and reach all of the pieces of Levi that he thought he'd lost or given up on, he felt lighter and happier than he had done in years and he thanked all of the powers in the universe for bringing him to his other half.

He leaned in and kissed Eren gently not wanting to ever let go of him again and he started to move his hips a little to get them going again, Eren's hands steadied him and from their increasing pressure Levi could tell Eren wanted to take over control... and so Levi let him. He wound his arms tightly around Eren's neck as the brunette's hands drifted down to where they tentatively cupped his ass, he felt as Eren raised him up a little and let him fall back down as if trialling what felt right for them. Eren moved them in a way that was lazy and gentle at first but it had Levi biting his lip and breathing heavily, his forehead now resting against Eren's not able to concentrate on keeping it upright. Then Eren started moving faster, his hips thrusting up to meet Levi as he dropped down again and Levi couldn't keep the moans in anymore, curses pouring from his lips at each thrust. Eren went even quicker, his hands lifting Levi's body up and then slamming them down together in feverish movements, their voices mixed together in a succession of groans and profanities. Levi felt himself hard and leaking against Eren's chest and knew that neither of them would take very long to find their release, his whole body was tingling with Eren's touch and as he went faster Levi's mind went blank and he couldn't think anymore, he was entirely possessed by the sensations coursing through him.

Eren kept rubbing up against that amazing spot making Levi have to tangle his hands up tightly in Eren's hair to keep himself tethered to reality, he had closed his eyes and completely lost himself in his husband. He could feel when Eren came undone, he started cursing a little louder and as they crashed together he felt Eren unravel and spill inside him, Levi couldn't help but follow as he heard Eren cry out and he let himself go, releasing onto Eren's stomach. 

There was nothing but panting breaths and muttered curses in the room for a while until they could both regain their senses. Levi was still seated on Eren, his hands tangled in Eren's hair and his forehead resting on Eren's lips while Eren leaned in to him, his eyes closed and his hands still cupping Levi's ass.

"Fuck, that was amazing" Eren murmured in awe and Levi felt himself grinning. "Does it always feel like that?"

"I was about to ask the same thing" Levi replied playfully making Eren huff out a laugh.

"Do we have to get out of bed?" Eren sighed "I don't want to leave here for at least a week". Levi laughed softly at Eren's complaint but he completely understood, if it were up to him he would steal Eren away to some distant and very remote place and they would never leave their bed or be interrupted by people who wanted something from them.

"I don't even know what time it is" Levi said quietly but before he could move to find out Eren had kissed him, quick and fierce.

"Nope, I absolutely forbid you from moving" Eren pouted against his lips and Levi smiled.

"You're right, it'll be so much more interesting when someone knocks on the door looking for me and we're still like this or if it's Hange she could honestly burst through that door at any moment and get an eyeful" Levi teased.

Eren just laughed at the image "Well, it'd be her own fault and honestly, totally worth it".

Levi laughed lightly and focused intently on Eren's face, his hand carded through the brunette's hair as he whispered in a low, intense voice "I love you, Eren". Eren blinked at the sudden emotion and then leaned in to steal a kiss, his voice quiet but strong as he replied "I love you, too".

 

***

 

They finally made it down and managed to catch the start of breakfast. They entered with their hands held tightly and their bodies almost rubbing against each other with each step they took. Eren heard the usual calls from his friends to join them but he just smiled over at them and continued on to sit with Levi. Their table was completely full today with the two of them managing to snag the last two available seats. Erwin was nursing a mug of coffee while he went over reports and only glanced up at them to see who had sat down, Petra gave them a wide smile before going back to her full plate of food, Dr Ilse looked over enthusiastically at their appearance, Gunther and Eld raised their eyebrows in surprise apparently still not used to their Captain acting so intimate with another human being and Hange eyed them with a knowing grin on her face making it feel like she knew exactly what they had been up to this morning, she even seemed to catch Levi's minute wince as he sat down- his ass still relatively sore from their activities.

Hange ended up on Eren's right while Dr Ilse sat to Levi's left, both capturing the new arrivals in conversation immediately. Levi heard Hange barraging Eren with a lot of inappropriate questions to which Eren blushed but refused to answer, Levi smirked and turned his heard to the Doctor who had spoken to him.

"Levi, I'm glad to catch you this early, I've been thinking that we all need to have a conversation about how to proceed with Miss Reiss" she began, her voice low as to not attract attention to their conversation.

"What do you mean?" Levi muttered back, a little confused.

"So, I know you agreed to two months and I was going to mention it sooner but then you were called away so quickly and well... we need to talk about the best time to actually do this" she continued, her words almost running together she was speaking so quickly.

"What? I have no idea what you're trying to get at" Levi grumbled.

"Ah.. well, there is a better time for Miss Reiss to actually get pregnant and we need to try on those dates, more of a chance of success, and it seems those dates either fall about two weeks before your two month timeline or about two weeks after. I mean, there is a huge chance it won't take first time around anyway, we could be trying this for a few months but I need your input on when you want to start so I can go ahead and get things organised".

"Oh" was all Levi managed at first, "Uhh.. give me a second". She nodded and went back to her food while Levi turned to Eren, he tapped him on the shoulder and Eren turned towards him quickly with an easy smile on his face.

Levi leaned in close to whisper to him so no one could hear their conversation, "I think Dr Langnar wants the go ahead as to when to start... she said the best time to try would either be two weeks before or two weeks after out two month date".

Eren pulled back to look at Levi and then leaned in to reply "Seriously? What do you think?"

"Well, she said it could take a few months anyway, that it rarely works the first time, so maybe just let her go?" Levi responded in a nervous whisper.

Eren smiled softly at him "Yeah that sounds good, I mean, we want this anyway, what difference will two weeks make?" 

"She said we can have a meeting later to discuss it but if we're sure now we can just give her the OK?" Levi whispered.

"I'm OK with it" Eren replied and smiled at him and Levi couldn't help but lean in and kiss him quickly just hoping nobody was watching them. He pulled away and turned back to their doctor.

"We're OK with the earlier date, you can proceed whenever you think it's the right time" Levi confirmed, earning a huge enthusiastic smile from Dr Ilse.

"That's great! The sooner we start the sooner we'll make you two parents" she said cheerfully but what worried Levi was that he wasn't all that freaked out by the words, he actually found himself getting excited over becoming a parent, especially if it was with Eren. No, he was excited  _because_  it was with Eren. He was going to have a family with the amazing young man next to him and it was ridiculous how happy that made him.


	27. The Trail We Blaze

After breakfast Levi kissed Eren goodbye and went back to training with the recruits while Eren proceeded to hole himself up in the library. Armin found him an hour later in the corner by the windows surrounded by mountains of books, Eren was so consumed in what he was reading he didn't even look up as Armin sat down next to him. 

"I've never seen you so obsessed" Armin commented happily and Eren jumped finally looking up.

He laughed, marked his place and put his book down "Armin, you scared me".

"What are you reading?" Armin asked playfully although he knew the answer already, the titles on the books were all pretty obvious as to the subject. "By this point I'm pretty sure you've read up on everything to do with having baby".

"Well, its actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about but I wanted to get some research done first" Eren said cautiously, they had talked about the baby and done some research on parenting and the pregnancy process but Eren had been careful not to tell Armin about his idea to continue his mother's work yet. He wanted his ideas straight before he went to his much smarter friend so it didn't look like a foolish idea or that he wasn't capable in following through.

"Alright, what are you doing?" Armin asked smiling, he was really happy knowing that his best friend was settling in to life in Trost and finding his own place.

"I had an idea" Eren started but now that he was actually going to tell Armin he started to get nervous, what if Armin thought it was stupid? What if he said he was incapable of doing it? What if Armin told him that he would never be able to manage it? He took a deep breath and plunged on, Levi had said it was a good idea, right?

"I want to start up a surrogacy agency here in Trost" he spilled out quickly and watched as Armin's eyes widened fractionally as he took in Eren's words. Eren swallowed, this was it, Armin was going to tell him it was pointless and stupid.

"Eren, that's..." Armin murmured and Eren felt his stomach drop as he watched Armin try to find the right words. "That's brilliant!" Armin exclaimed and Eren jumped a little in shock.

"What?" Eren said confused but Armin was already talking quickly, so caught up in the idea.

"This is such a great idea! Can I help? I mean, you probably already know everything but I can help, right? Oh god, your mum would be so happy!" Armin said cheerfully and turned back to Eren... who was now in tears.

"Eren? Eren! Are you OK?" Armin cried and immediately embraced his friend. Eren couldn't help the tears that were falling, he had been so afraid that Armin would laugh at him or call him incompetent. Levi had said it was a great idea and as much as Eren loved him he realized that Armin knew Eren a lot better, they  _had_  been friends for most of their lives. At Armin's immediate encouragement and talking about his mum, Eren had snapped and started to cry, the overwhelming feeling of happiness and the little bit of guilt at not trusting his friend earlier was too much.

"Sorry" Eren muttered, frantically wiping his eyes and smiling shakily at his sudden outburst.

"It's OK" Armin soothed and let him out of the hug "this means a lot to you, huh". Eren nodded seriously, sniffed a little and then tried to start talking to his friend about his ideas.

"I want to keep going where mum left off, I know it's a huge thing to start and with the baby coming it might be impossible but I want this" Eren said and Armin nodded along with him.

"So... can I help or not? You didn't really answer" Armin teased lightly making Eren smile.

"Of course, I'd honestly like nothing more than your help" Eren said and Armin grinned.

"Alright, what have you got so far?" Armin asked and hunkered down into his seat to pull over the book Eren had been reading and start pouring over the contents.

 

***

 

They had to be dragged to lunch by Levi who had found them in exactly the same position they'd been in for hours and forced to eat. They were both talking excitedly, ideas pouring out and bouncing of the other as Armin listened and helped to improve all of Eren's already pretty sound plans, they were so happy with the way things were going that they didn't even notice what they were eating. Levi was just content in watching Eren's happy and engaged face as he conversed with his friend, he wouldn't have dragged them from the library but he was worried about Eren not eating and he figured they could just continue in the dining hall... which they had.

Levi disappeared after lunch to go up to his office and catch up on the paperwork he'd missed while being away. Eren and Armin talked animatedly all the way back to the library where they sat back down and dove right into their books again. An hour later Eren glanced up and noticed Armin staring out of the window at a tall figure speaking to Hange, he smirked and poked Armin's cheek.

"You can go talk to him, you know?" Eren nudged and watched as Armin's face turned crimson.

"What? Who? I wasn't looking at anyone" Armin spluttered turning back to his books while Eren laughed.

"I know you admire him, he's a great Commander, I'm sure you can make up a reason to speak to him" Eren teased.

"He's not just great, he's almost legendary, the way he leads Trost and the military it's close to perfect" Armin burted out "but I can't just go and talk to him. He'd think I was stupid".

"Trust me, no one thinks you're stupid, I think he'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas, I'm sure he'd be very open to having a conversation with you about politics and leadership" Eren said happily, knowing just how much it would mean to Armin to simply have a conversation with Erwin. "Just go, Armin, tell him you want to talk. I'll even give you permission to talk about my marriage with Levi and you two can discuss the success of that little arrangement between our countries".

"Seriously? Eren, that would be perfect!" Armin said excitedly and jumped out of his seat, books completely forgotten as he raced to the door. Eren just laughed as his friend tripped over himself in order to get to his idol, Erwin was the type of person that Armin would look up to and want to learn from no matter if he was basically in charge of their country's former enemy. He watched out of the window as Armin approached Erwin, got his attention and shook his hand, and then as they proceeded to walk together seemingly deep in conversation.

Eren grinned happily and went back to his books. It lasted about five minutes before he got bored... well, not bored exactly but he started thinking about Levi and as pathetic as it sounded he missed him. So he just gave up and packed up about five books he had been meaning to read and carried them out of the library, nodding at the elderly librarian on the way out. With the books tucked under his arm he made his way up to Levi's office and knocked tentatively on the door not sure if Levi would be annoyed at him for interrupting.

"Come in" Levi called out and Eren opened the door and stepped inside, Levi glance up and smiled at his appearance. "What are you doing here?" he asked lightly not being able to hide his happiness at Eren visiting him.

"Armin got a little starstruck by Erwin so I thought I might come and visit" Eren replied smiling in return.

"Oh, so I'm just a substitute for Armin, huh?" Levi teased putting his pen down and focusing entirely on Eren, who had just shrugged and closed the door behind him.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Eren answered, a smile playing over his face and Levi rolled his eyes. Eren went over to Levi and dropped his heavy books onto the desk and then sat in Levi's lap to wrap his arms around his neck and kiss him sweetly. "I may have missed you, as well" Eren whispered and Levi kissed him back and gripped him tightly around the waist so he wouldn't fall off the chair. 

"I have work to do" Levi groaned, annoyed that he had so much to catch up on when he could be spending his time with Eren but the brunette just laughed and slowly stood up.

"I figured, that's why I brought these" Eren said easily, pointing at the books. He picked them all up and dumped them on the floor beside Levi's desk and sat down in front of them, Levi watched as his husband made himself comfortable, sprawled out on the floor, and opened up a book to conitnue reading. Levi watched for a moment before turning back to his own work with a happy smile on his face.

They stayed that way until dinner, every now and then one would ask a question and the other would answer and then they would both fall back into silence. Levi thought it was one of the best afternoons he'd ever had. It was simple and comforting just having Eren near him and it made his work so much more enjoyable, he wouldn't actually mind catching up on paperwork if Eren continued to lie on the floor near him.

Eren would join his friends for dinner and Levi would eat with Hange or Erwin but Levi had made plans for after dinner. Eren had mentioned wanting to do some training and Levi figured that the hour after dinner when the training grounds were clear and the sun was setting was the best time to do it. He interecepted Eren on his way back to their room and took him outside where for the first day they just ran together. Levi wanted to ease Eren into training, learning to fight could come later, and honestly running was the best thing Eren could learn, it would be the most helpful if he were ever in a bad situation. Levi didn't want to treat Eren like a recruit but as an equal and for the better part of an hour they ran laps and talked and just enjoyed the other's company until it got dark and they retired to their room.

They conitinued this routine for weeks, time seeming to fly right by them, Eren had started taking Armin and his books into Dr Ilse's office in the mornings to talk about how to practically go about starting up anagency and getting advice from someone who had already done it. He would always end up making his way to Levi's office after lunch even if Levi was outside doing more training, Eren simply settled down and got stuck into his work and waited for Levi who would eventually have to stop by. Armin was constantly in Erwins company as they were both very intelligent and like-minded and had started to discuss ways to improve the alliance between their countries. A few weeks in Levi had Eren start lifting weights and doing some simple exercises before running for the rest of their time, Eren was slowly building up some muscle and finding out that he actually enjoyed running- it was an amazing way to not think about anything and just enjoy being in Levi's company.

Their lives seemed to settle and perfectly synch with each other.

Well, until Dr Ilse found them at breakfast and smiled excitedly, they both looked up at her completely clueless as to why she was there.

"You excited?" she said happily, sitting down next to them.

"For what?" Eren asked, bringing his fork up to his mouth and glancing over at Levi in confusion who shrugged and turned back to Dr Ilse.

"Uh, for the baby? Tomorrow we start the whole process" she said, glancing from Eren to Levi in excitement.

"Wait, what?!" Eren cried, dropping his fork and letting it clatter to the floor. He glanced at Levi, whose face had gone pale and his body stiff. "But it was like 4 weeks away!" Eren said, the panic rising in his voice, all of that time couldn't have gone so fast, could it?

"We, uh, we can wait another month if you're not ready" Dr Ilse said carefully, watching them "I mean, Historia's OK for tomorrow but we can delay until next month-"

"No, no it's OK" Levi said quickly, he grabbed Eren's hand tightly under the table and squeezed it. "We just lost track of the time please go ahead as planned".

"Alright, well I have to finalize times but I'll get Nifa to come and fill you in later today" she finished and walked away with a confused expression on her face.

"So... we forgot we were having a baby" Eren breathed out, staring intently at Levi who actually cracked a small smile. 

"Yeah we did, fuck, did you want to delay until next month?" Levi asked seriously.

"No, I'm good. Tomorrow's great, I mean, I don't think I'll sleep tonight but tomorrow's great" Eren replied quickly and squeezed Levi's hand in reassurance. "It's probably not even going to work this time so we should just start the process".

"Yeah, she said it would probably take a few tries" Levi agreed softly. They sat together in silence, not eating or talking, just totally consumed in thoughts of tomorrow mixed with fear and anticipation.

After their talk with Dr Ilse time went ridiculously fast and before they knew it Nifa had told them the plan for the next day and they were less than 24 hours out. For the first time in a long time Levi couldn't concentrate, he spent the whole morning training confused recruits in things that they'd already done and eventually ended up letting them go early- which he had never done before. He spent the afternoon in his office with Eren beside him as they both ended up on the floor leaning against the wall just staring at their own books and paper. It was too strange for them and neither could wrap their head around the fact that this whole process was going to start the next day. Logically they knew it probably wouldn't work the first time and they would have more of a chance to come to terms with it but they were both stuck on that slight chance that it would happen and they would have a very real child in nine months.

Neither of them slept much that night instead they stayed up talking, both of them were so overwhelmed with worry and a little bit of panic at the prospect of having their baby so soon. They knew they wanted to go through with it but now it was staring them in the face they both began to lose it a little.

When the sun rose Levi got up and pulled Eren out of bed with him, they got changed and walked out to the training grounds where they proceeded to run off their stress for the next two hours. As the rest of the base began to wake up they both returned to their rooms to shower and change for breakfast and then make their way to Dr Ilse's temporary medical facility.

They arrived early in her office and Nifa had let them in to wait, Levi kept running his hand through his hair while Eren tapped his foot nervously against the ground. Levi reached out and silently grabbed Eren's hand in his own and rested them on Eren's thigh, Eren glanced over and offered a small smile but Levi was too tense to return it. They weren't really sure what to expect, Levi had cleared his morning and gotten Petra to take over his training just in case.

Dr Ilse found them sitting tensely and grinned "Little nervous?" she teased, she got a sharp glare from Levi and a slightly distracted nod from Eren. "I wouldn't worry too much, your part in this is actually fairly quick and simple, in all honesty it'll be the two week wait for results that'll be difficult". Her words only made Levi glare harder and his mouth turn down in a grimace, Eren's foot just began tapping frantically and his spare hand joined in against the armrest. Dr Ilse just smiled as if she'd seen their reactions one too many times and took her seat behind the desk and continued talking.

"Alright we should get started then, I'll need Eren to go into that room over there and fill this container with a sperm sample, you'll place it inside the plastic bagwhe you're done and then give it back to me, I'll head over to where Historia and Nifa are and do the insemination. The whole process is pretty quick but the results do take at least two weeks to be sure and if they're negative we'll just do this process over again" she said very professionally, the small plastic container and bag sitting on the desk by her hand. Levi blinked, was that it? 

"Do I wait here?" Levi said awkwardly and Eren gripped his hand tightly not wanting to leave him. Dr Ilse caught the gesture and grinned.

"No, you can go with Eren or wait here, it's your decision" she told him lightly.

"I'll go with Eren, then" he said firmly and stood up pulling Eren along behind him as they made their way into the little side room, Levi made sure he picked up the items off the desk and that he locked the door behind them as they entered.

"What now? This is really weird" Eren whispered, Levi stood in front of him awkwardly holding the plastic items as he took in Eren's stiff stance and shifty eyes and sighed, he had to make Eren felt more comfortable. He dumped the plastic items on a little white table and took both of Eren's hands in his own and leaned up to kiss him fiercely. Eren blinked in surprise but quickly recovered and leaned into the kiss, his hands moving to grab the front of Levi's shirt and pull him closer.

Levi pulled back a little "You trust me?" Eren smiled and nodded.

"Alright, close your eyes, we're going to pretend we're back in our room alone" Levi soothed and started kissing him again, his hands travelling down to the buttons on Eren's pants and slipping in.

 

***

 

After delivering the plastic bag back to a smirking Dr Ilse with red faces and no eye contact, they left the room quickly and all but ran back to their room to hide. They weren't entirely proud of needing to hide but they couldn't face anyone just yet, they just walked quietly into their bathroom and swiftly undressed while Levi turned the taps to the bath on. They stepped in together while the water was still running and Eren sat between Levi's legs, leaned against his chest and closed his eyes.

"Two weeks, huh?" Eren sighed.

"Two weeks" Levi breathed out.

"How are we meant to make it that long without knowing?" Eren whispered.

"Well, we run a lot" Levi said dryly making Eren laugh. 

"Obviously lots of sex to help make us tired and get to sleep" Eren continued lightly and Levi smirked, his body relaxing as they talked.

"Obviously" Levi agreed, he grabbed the soap and starting rubbing it over Eren's chest and shoulders.

"We could take like a mini holiday and just stay in our room and not talk to anyone, spend two weeks in bed" Eren said lightly.

"Or in the bath" Levi suggested and Eren nodded.

"Both. Definitely both" Eren agreed. 

Levi smiled at his husband and stopped moving his hand to wrap both arms around Eren's waist and hug him gently against his chest. 

"We're going to be Ok" Levi said quietly and kissed the side of Eren's neck.

"I know" Eren sighed.

"I love you" Levi whispered.

"I know" Eren whispered back making Levi smile again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry if this chapter wasn't great I'm having an off week :P Promise I'll pick it up next chapter!!


	28. Somewhere To Start From

Only a day had passed and Eren couldn't believe how quickly his friends had picked up on his mood but by the end of the day they were all trying to subtly distract him, most of them not even knowing why. Armin knew and was animatedly trying to discuss Eren's surrogacy agency idea with him but that conversation made him start picking at his nails as his thoughts kept going back to Historia and the potential baby that could be very real in less than two weeks. Sasha and Connie were actually trying to give him some of their food during lunch thinking that extra food would somehow make him feel better while Marco just kept shooting him smiles hoping that they would ease the tension that apparently everyone was noticing. He just sighed and leaned into it, hoping that their attempts actually worked. 

Levi increased his training, it had a little to do with Eren actually improving but mostly Levi just wanted to tire him out so that he could get to sleep more easily- and for the most part it worked. He fell to sleep pretty quickly but he had started having weird dreams about the baby which woke him up several times a night and each time it was harder for him to go back to sleep. He noticed that Levi was just as anxious as he was although he hid it much better- years of training had made him an expert in having a poker face- but Eren could tell.

A week later - when his nails were all but picked to pieces and his body tired from all the built up stress and exercise - was when his only real distraction came. Jean had taunted Reiner at breakfast again and Reiner had immediately brought up the fight between him and Annie which still hadn't happened. Jean had then boasted that if they wanted a fight they could have one but he wouldn't hold back even if he was up against a little girl.

The little girl comment sparked Annie to life and Eren had to blink a few times to make it was the same girl sitting across from. She had her mouth turned up in an evil smirk and her eyes glittered like they were on fire- she had come alive in an instant and Eren knew that Jean would regret every comment he had made about her very soon. She very calmly stood up from her chair and circled around the table to lean over a still seated Jean, her face only inches from his.

"We have a lunch break- I'll show you how to really fight then" she said, her voice low and unsettling.  Eren watched as Jean visibly gulped but he didn't back down, he just nodded and watched her walk away. As each of the recruits stood up from the table to leave they either patted Jean on the shoulder or said their goodbyes- it seemed every one but Jean knew the outcome of the fight already but it was more than that, Jean had pissed her off and now she wasn't going to hold back.

Eren followed everyone down to the training grounds- he had stopped going to the library for the moment as he was too anxious to read, especially about pregnancy, and now spent his mornings either watching Levi or the recruits. It was amazing what he noticed now that he was training himself- he could recognize techniques and sometimes if he seriously studied one person in particular he could tell if they overbalanced or shifted their weight wrong and once he had actually winced before Connie had even broken stance and fallen over knowing the outcome before it happened. Today though he studied Annie- which he had done a few times- she was almost perfect in her movements and Eren could tell she had been fighting for most of her life. She had a distinct style different to all of the other recruits and one which Eren loved to study and try to replicate on his own time- she was fluid and practiced and honestly Levi only ever had small things to critique her about.

Today she seemed like a different person altogether- the indifferent and bored girl was gone to be replaced by someone who was so focused and burning with energy - apparently Jean's 'little girl' comment had hit a sore spot. She was a whirlwind at practice sparring and as she overpowered and defeated each new opponent Levi let out what could only be described as an impressed grunt. She was a natural and as Eren watched her his only thoughts were that he wanted to see a real fight between her and Mikasa- with her efforts today he started to doubt a little whether Mikasa would win.

Eren sat on his spot on the fence for most of the morning until closer to lunch when he jumped down and walked over to where Levi stood. Levi turned and shot him a tiny smile as he approached making Eren grin back and stand beside him to observe. Levi noticed his interest as he continued watching them and soon started up a whispered commentary on each recruit- what they were doing right and wrong and where they should improve. Eren nodded along and every now and then asked questions about a certain move or technique which Levi would answer and then elaborate on.  It was a perfect distraction for them and allowed Eren to become consumed in thoughts over how he could apply each and every one of these moves to his own practice. 

"What about Annie? She doesn't look like she has any faults" Eren asked curiously as he stared at the blonde who was now sparring with Reiner.

"You're right, physically she doesn't have many flaws but it's her personality- she puts little to no effort into anything she doesn't deem necessary and only participates in things that she takes an interest in" Levi commented, his eyes flicking to her and narrowing as he watched, "She'd be a force to reckon with if she had your intensity".

"Wait, I'm not intense" Eren said his gaze moving to Levi, who actually snorted out a laugh.

"You obviously can't see yourself when we're training but yes, Eren, you're very intense. You have a passion and energy I haven't seen in awhile and if you're serious about training and disciplining yourself more you could become very talented in time" Levi said steadily and Eren grinned, it was one of very few compliments Levi had ever given him regarding his training.

"Thankyou, Levi" he said quietly and Levi just nodded. 

As Jean approached near their break time Levi must have caught on to what was happening as he actually let them go on time and then proceeded to stay and watch. Jean looked very smug and Eren sighed- after watching Annie in training Jean just looked like an idiot. He was pretty good for a Marian soldier and he ranked pretty high but he was nowhere near Annie's level and she was only a recruit in Trost- although granted one of the top recruits. Armin was by his side looking a little worried and kept glancing between Jean and Annie, when he noticed Eren he left Jean and headed over.

"Is this OK?" Armin whispered and Eren grinned.

"You worry too much, he'll be fine, a little bruised but fine" Eren replied.

"Is she really that good?" Armin asked, his eyes going to Annie.

"Well, let's just say it would be a pretty interesting fight between her and Mika" Eren answered happily.

"Seriously? Oh god, Jean is going to die" Armin groaned.

"Eh, only a little" Eren said cheerfully and Armin hit him lightly on the shoulder.

They stopped talking then as Annie had noticed Jean's arrival and was now heading over to where he stood in the centre of the training ground. He was stretching his arms and loosening up his body with a relaxed smile on his face. He was taking this much too lightly and Eren saw a very rare smile appear on Annie's face as she realised the same thing- this wasn't going to take long. As she stood opposite him they both took up an easy stance, Jean had his hands up and his feet apart while Annie had lost the smile and now just looked bored and a little pissed as she moved her feet and hands into her own stance. They stared each other down for a moment, each waiting for the other to make the first move. After a moment Jean growled and then barreled forward, extending his arms to try and land a blow on the blonde but Annie just swiped her foot out and kicked Jean hard in the leg knocking him over and to the ground. 

"Son of a-" Jean grunted "that was dirty move".

"Are we done here?" Annie said in bored voice.

"No! We go again" Jean growled and stood up, wobbling on his leg and then facing off with her again. This time Annie came at him, in a rush of movement too quick to see she had hit him hard and flipped him over onto the ground where he stayed. Eren caught her lips turning up in a tiny smile at the easy victory but as soon as it was there it was gone and Annie was walking away to rejoin the rest of the recruits. Most of them were grinning and shouting at her victory, excited to see her win against a Marian soldier, but some just stood in awe not having ever really seen just how good she could potentially be.

"So, did you just come here for the show?" Eren asked Armin, turning away from his sort of friend still sitting in the dirt.

"Not entirely, I thought Jean would need someone to pick him up and help him back" Armin teased and Eren laughed "but I also have something to show you".

"Really? What is it?" Eren inquired eagerly, even Levi turned to Armin at his words.

"Well, it really is something I have to show you" Armin said and then looked to Levi "but it's in town and I'm not sure if it's OK for just you and me to go there by ourselves".

"Levi could come" Eren said excitedly and then turned to Levi "or we could get guards... I'm sure there's someone here who's free". 

Levi stared at Eren's hopeful face for a moment too long before he sighed and rolled his eyes "Fine, where are we going?" Eren grinned happily and stepped forward quickly to throw his arms around Levi in a grateful hug before he flushed red, realizing that people were watching them now.

 

***

 

Levi managed to convince Eld to take over his training for the afternoon and then accompanied by Armin and Eren, he mounted a horse and rode off base towards town. The ride was silent but comfortable and as they reached the town line and stabled their horses, Armin took over and led them forward. Eren sidled up to Levi's side and subtly took his hand as they walked a few steps behind Armin. Levi didn't flinch as their hands touch but just went with it, pleased that he got to be in contact with Eren without everyone seeing. 

Armin led them down small streets and alleys, passed the markets and onto an older looking section of town. Eren looked around, amazed at the beautiful buildings that surrounded them, they were old and worn but the structure and design were still amazing. Armin turned his head, took in Eren's awe and smiled, incredibly happy with himself.

"So, Jean and I spent a few days walking around town and getting to know the place" Armin started and Levi gave him a disgruntled look, "Don't worry, we brought along some guards from Trost". Levi grunted in acknowledgement but was still pissed he hadn't known Eren's friends were disappearing from base to go into town, he really should be more aware even if his life had become a string of weird situations one after another.

"Well, anyway about a week ago we came down this street and I found this building" Armin said and pointed to a beautiful white marble building on the corner. It had large windows and a huge wooden door and it looked at least three stories tall. Eren's eyes widened as he took it in, it was old and worn like the rest of the street but Eren couldn't help it as his mind started to fix it up and imagine what it could look like.

"It looked empty and all the windows were bordered up so I may have got into contact with the people that own the building" Armin said and Eren looked away from the building to stare at Armin, he couldn't possibly mean what Eren thought? "They said they were very willing to sell".

"You mean..." Eren started but trailed off and just stared dumbstruck at his friend.

"I thought you could have it for your business" Armin told him happily.

"Armin, I can't afford this place... and I won't ask my father for money" Eren said sadly, his gaze going straight back to the building which now that it was out there, he desperately wanted. He could already see its potential, he could see coming here every day to work and he could see meeting Levi and their child on the front steps at the end of the day.

"Well, see that's the thing" Armin began nervously and Eren snapped his attention back "I may have already bought it for you".

"YOU WHAT?!" Eren shouted, just completely freaking out while Armin laughed at his reaction.

"I said I wanted to help and I know I have to leave soon so this was the best I could come up with" Armin said happily while Eren just stared at him in shock. "I know I didn't ask but I've known you forever and I saw the building and knew it was perfect".

"How can- how can you afford this?" Eren whispered.

Armin smiled mischievously "Please, I've been working for your father and sister for years now, did you think they weren't paying me?"

"I honestly never thought about it" Eren replied.

"Well, they do and it's a generous amount" Armin answered "I've been saving most of it and I decided I wanted to spend some of it on this, for you".

"It's too much, Armin, I can't possibly accept" Eren said.

"It's already yours, I put it in your name" Armin replied cheerfully "If it helps think of it as a belated wedding present".

"Armin-" Eren started but he interrupted.

"No, Eren, it's yours and I won't hear another word. I want you happy here and I want you to be successful and if I can help in any way, I will" Armin said firmly and stared Eren down until he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, do you want to go inside?" Armin asked holding out a key. Eren stepped forward and let go of Levi's hand to take the key, he stared at it for a moment before walking slowly to the door, Levi and Armin held back a little to let Eren go first.

"Thankyou for this" Levi said steadily and Armin looked over at him and nodded, "If there's ever anything I can do".

"You look after Eren" Armin said firmly "I know how he feels for you so I need him to be your first priority, over everything, even your duties as a soldier. I know what I'm asking is a lot but I need to know my best friend is going to be safe and loved".

Levi didn't even hesitate before he answered seriously, "It's already done. He's honestly the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing to run through my head when I fall asleep, it's my duty as a soldier to prioritize my countries needs over my own but it's different now. Eren is the most important person in the world to me and he always will be, I promise".

Armin grinned happily "I think that's the most I've heard you talk, Captain, but thank you for saying it. I wouldn't want to be you if Mikasa ever found out you were treating her brother badly".

"I would never treat him badly so its not an issue" Levi said strongly and Armin grinned again. They both looked up to where Eren was, he had made his way up the wide white marble steps and was staring at the wooden doors.

"You going in?" Armin called out. Eren raised his hand with the key and stepped forward to unlock the door, slowly the door creaked open and Eren stepped inside, now with Levi and Armin only a few steps behind him.

As they stepped into the hall Eren's mouth dropped open as he looked around. It was definitely old and needed a lot of repairs but as he took it in his imagination took over and he started planning, he saw the colour the walls would be and how the first room on the left would be reception, how the larger room at the back could be his office, he saw where they could install a kitchen and dining room if they needed one. He slowly made his way up a winding staircase with a broken banister and onto the second floor where a large room could be used as a medical facility and smaller rooms could even be transformed into hospital rooms for the girls. He continued up the staircase to the top floor which was lined with doors into smaller rooms which could all be used as bedrooms and housing for the girls that needed it and a large bathroom in the centre. As he carefully opened doors and looked around he was stunned with how incredibly perfect this place would be, it wasn't a horrible, sterile place but warm and homey. He could see what it would look like in the future, he knew where everything would go and how to set it out, he saw it for what it could be and it was perfect.

"What do you think?" Armin asked nervously and Eren spun around to look at him and Levi, they both stood awkwardly at the top of the stairs watching his reaction until he grinned.

"I don't know what to say? It's just perfect" Eren said sincerely and Armin grinned at him.

"I knew you'd like it! It used to be an inn years ago and I thought up here could be turned into like a dormitory for the girls that needed it, they could have their own rooms and share the bathroom. They would be around other girls in their situation and make friends and have somewhere safe to sleep" Armin gushed out making Eren laugh.

"I thought the same thing and then we could have a kitchen and dining room on the first floor with my office and a reception area plus the middle floor would be perfect for the medical facilities and hospital rooms. It's just so incredible, I didn't think a place like this existed!" Eren burst out with excitement.

"Well, it does and it's all yours" Armin said happily and then looked to Levi, "I have to check some of the rooms downstairs but I'll meet you down there when you're done up here" he said and walked quickly down the stairs.

"I think this will work, Levi, it's actually all coming together and I just can't believe it. It'll be fine for me to work here, right?" Eren asked as he walked up to Levi.

"You like it?" Levi asked and Eren nodded frantically, "then we'll work it out". Eren smiled happily and crushed Levi in a hug.

"I can see everything. How it's all going to be when it's done and I want it so badly, I think it'll work, I can bring the baby here if I need to and we can set up a space in my office and if Hange wants too she can work in the medical facility or we can get someone new. We can get some guards posted outside if we need too and I don't mind fixing the place up and I just- I just can't believe Armin did this for me" Eren ranted enthusiastically.

"You have an amazing friend" Levi commented and leaned up to kiss him quickly, "we can work all the details out later but I think you're right, this can definitely work".

"Really? You think so?" Eren asked hopefully.

"I do and so does Armin" Levi responded steadily.

"Thankyou" Eren whispered and leaned in to kiss him thoroughly before they headed downstairs to meet up with Armin.

 

***

 

The rest of the week went quickly with Eren trying every day to make his way back to his building with either Armin or Levi or just any soldiers who were free, he spent a few hours there looking over every inch of the place and making notes as to what needed to be done. By the end of the week he had an entire notebook filled with lists and ideas and he was grinning happily all the time just thinking about getting to work on it.

Soon enough, it was the night before Historia's planned blood test and Eren was sitting next to Armin at dinner and they were both discussing all the plans they had for the place. Eren got so excited everytime he talked about it that the whole pregnancy situation was now only on the edge of his thoughts, still there but mostly put away for later. Levi was sitting with Hange and Erwin and could hear Eren's excited chatter from his spot two tables away but he could only smile, knowing how happy Eren was at the moment.

As Levi heard Eren make a particularly loud exclamation of excitement there was a crash and every head swiveled to the back corner where it had come from. It took only seconds before Levi was on his feet and Hange and Eren were close behind as they rushed forward. A small, blonde body had fallen of her seat and now lay unconscious on the floor, a broken glass by her feet. 

Historia had collapsed.

"Levi, get her out of here" Hange ordered as they reached her. He quickly knelt down and gently picked her up, with Eren beside him they swiftly made their exit out of the dining room, Hange was close behind and ordering a young recruit to go and find Dr Ilse and Nifa as they hadn't been at dinner.

They made their way to Hange's medical facility and Levi placed Historia down on a clean, white bed. He stepped back and Eren immediately grabbed his hand for comfort as they stood by the edge of the bed waiting for the others to arrive. It only took five minutes before Dr Ilse and Nifa came barreling in and started assessing the situation with Hange filling them in on everything. Historia still lay unmoving on the bed but she was breathing steadily and Hange said her heartbeat was only going a little faster than normal. 

It was another ten minutes of running tests and discussing possible options before Historia blinked her eyes and slowly woke up. 

"What happened?" she murmured softly, her eyes travelling over all the worried faces in the room.

"You fainted, dear" Dr Ilse explained and pushed on her shoulder to stop her from sitting up. "We've drawn some blood and done some tests but we're not sure why yet, have you been eating properly? Exercising too much?"

"I haven't been that hungry" Historia confessed, Eren and Levi didn't miss the glances that were shot between the other three women.

"Alright, well we're going to let you rest here and wait for the blood tests to come back before we decide what to do next" Dr Ilse said steadily and Historia nodded and closed her eyes again.

No one was saying it but it was on all of their minds. What if she was pregnant? What if something had gone wrong?

The next few hours were the longest in their life. Eren and Levi sat silently in the corner of Historia's room while she lay in bed with her eyes closed tight and her breathing growing more erratic. Dr Ilse, Hange and Nifa were all running in and out and talking in low, fast voices so that no one could overhear what they were talking about. Eren's head had fallen onto Levi's shoulder as they waited, his hand held firmly in Levi's and his mind racing over what was going on. He was so scared that something was wrong with Historia or that if she was pregnant something was wrong with the baby, but it was too early for that, right?

It was bordering on midnight and the three of them had been alone in the room for about an hour now when the others came back in. Levi and Eren stood up quickly and went over, knowing that they had the results, they knew what was wrong. Historia sat up in her bed and looked over at all of them, her face pale and worry etched into it.

"We've run a lot of tests just to be sure" Dr Ilse started, her eyes locked onto Levi and Eren. Eren squeezed Levi's hand in panic, there was bad news coming, he could feel it.

"So, it seems Historia collapsed due to stress on her body and although it's still very early we have the results back for the pregnancy test we ran" she continued and Eren stopped breathing as he waited for her to continue, he felt like he might break Levi's hand he was squeezing it so tightly.

"And?" Levi growled out, really not enjoying how she was dragging this out.

"Historia's pregnant, congratulations!" Hange shouted happily.

"Fuck" Levi swore and Eren let out a weird bark of laughter as the results sunk in.

"Everything's OK right? There's nothing wrong with the baby?" Eren asked quickly before he let his body relax.

"Nothing wrong, the added stress on her body and with everything changing a little made her faint along with not eating enough. She'll be on bedrest for a few days and we'll make sure she eats enough but after that everything should go smoothly" Dr Ilse informed them with a smile.

Eren grinned in relief. There was nothing wrong. Historia was OK. Their baby was doing OK.

And then the grin slid off his face and the panic returned. Holy fuck, she was actually pregnant. They would have a baby in nine months time. A living, breathing person to look after and care for. He turned to Levi and saw a matching look of complete terror.

"I'm sorry" a soft voice spoke up and Eren and Levi both turned quickly to where Historia was sitting up in bed, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, if i'd taken better care of myself we wouldn't be here" she sniffed.

Oddly enough, it was Levi who moved forward and sat on the edge of her bed with Eren following him and standing at his side, "You have nothing to be sorry for. Everything is fine and in nine months you're going to give us a baby. We won't ever be able to thank you enough".

Levi's words made her cry harder and that's when Eren swooped in and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry about anything, from now on we all know what not to do and what we can start looking out for. Plus Levi and I are going to make so many more mistakes than forgetting to eat breakfast so please don't cry" Eren said gently and Historia actually smiled a little.

"I promise I'll always eat all my meals" she said firmly and Eren smiled and grabbed onto Levi's hand again.

"I need to speak to Historia for a little while, if that's OK? I'm sure you two have enough you want to discuss alone" Dr Ilse commented effectively shooing the two men out of the room.

"We'll come see you tomorrow" Eren said and leaned in to hug her quickly before leaving the room with Levi.

 

***

 

They were silent as they entered their bedroom, undressed and climbed tiredly into bed. Levi opened his arms and Eren immediately snuggled up against his chest.

"What a fucking day" Levi murmured.

"We're having a fucking baby" Eren replied the panic fading from his voice.

"First try too" Levi commented dryly.

"I'm kind of glad, I don't think I could do this waiting game again. It's too much stress" Eren said tiredly and Levi nodded in agreement.

"We can start making plans now" Levi said.

"We can pick out names now too" Eren said softly.

"We'll have to convert the extra bedroom soon" Levi continued.

"Oh god, we have a nine month time limit to everything now, it's real, there's actually a baby coming" Eren said, his voice pitching a little high, "We'll be OK, right?" 

"We'll be fine... mostly" Levi answered and Eren snorted out a laugh.

"Mostly fine I can handle" Eren answered and cuddled up closer, draping his leg over Levi's and closing his eyes. Images of babies and nurseries now filled his mind, both of them in for a very fitful night of sleep.

 


	29. Nobody Needs To Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys :D I am soo sorry for the delay in updating, I kind of got stuck and then I got a little obsessed with my other fic and then I wrote my Ereri Secret Santa :/  
> Anyway, now that Christmas is over and my job has calmed down a little I should be able to update more often and I promise you'll get at least one chapter a week :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!!

"Levi? Are you awake" Eren whispered into the darkness, he hadn't been able to sleep since they got back to their room. Levi had been very quiet but also very still which to Eren meant he could definitely still be up.

"Yeah... you can't sleep either?" Levi muttered back, rolling over to face Eren.

Eren shook his head "I can't stop thinking about Historia and the baby. What if something happens? What if no one's there when something happens? What if-"

Levi interrupted him with a quick kiss, "I know, me too. But there wouldn't be anything we could do whether we're here or there".

"Ugh... I know" Eren sighed and curled up into himself staying quiet but still definitely awake, Levi shifted closer and moved to entwine his fingers with Eren's.

"You want to go up there anyway and wait?" Levi asked softly making Eren smile and nod quickly, he rolled out of bed heading straight for the door.

"Uh, Eren? Clothes would be good" Levi teased and watched as Eren looked down at his body and then blush slightly as he was only wearing his underwear.

"Err, right" he mumbled and turned around to hunt down some clothes while Levi chuckled from his spot in the bed, "Can we take a blanket?" Eren asked as he turned around, now fully clothed in sweatpants and a loose white shirt. Levi raised an eyebrow but nodded, it would be an interesting sight if they were caught. Levi got up and started dressing as well, opting for his own sweatpants and a black shirt. They both pulled socks on but decided to forgo shoes, they wouldn't be going outside and Eren claimed they would be uncomfortable - Levi kind of just went with it.

After about ten minutes they were ready, Levi walked out first with Eren trailing behind him, the blanket wrapped around his shoulder and falling to the floor like a cloak. Levi couldn't help the little smile on his face as he watched Eren, especially when he walked quicker to catch up and hold onto Levi's hand- bringing it under the blanket with his own.

They walked quietly down the hallways until they reached the medical facility and found Historia's door. It was dark and the silence consumed them but as soon as Eren slid down to the ground he relaxed and the tiredness caught up with him. He pulled on Levi's hand and dragged him down to the ground next to him where he then proceeded to lie down with his head resting in Levi's lap.

"You comfy?" Levi asked with only a small amount of teasing, he only got a contented sigh in reply. Eren fell asleep quickly but not before he could carefully shift the blanket so it covered Levi's legs and with Eren's head in his lap, Levi was perfectly warm. He tried to stay awake, to watch out and make sure they weren't caught sleeping here - he knew if Hange found out the teasing would be endless - but Eren was rubbing little circles into his leg with his thumb and his deep, even breathing was lulling him into unconsciousness.

Slowly he began to forget the reasons he needed to stay awake and instead joined Eren in blissful sleep.

 

***

 

"Oh my God!" 

The shrill squeal brought Levi screaming back to consciousness, he was instantly alert, his body tensing and his arms stretching out to protect Eren - who was surprisingly still asleep. Levi turned his head to see see who had screamed at him and... fuck.

Hange was here and she wasn't alone.

Erwin, Dr Ilse and Nifa all stood slightly behind Hange. Dr Ilse wasn't even trying to hide her grin and obvious giggles, Nifa was smiling and glancing between Levi and Hange and Erwin was just chuckling. Hange looked scary excited though, it was as if all of her birthdays and holidays had come at the same time, her eyes were wide and her smile looked liked it was going to split her face open. She had stepped closer- far enough away that Levi couldn't hit her without moving Eren but close enough that she got an excellent view of them cuddled up on the floor.

"Fuck" Levi groaned and raised his hand to rub at his eyes. This was just fucking perfect... the last person he ever wanted to see like this had caught him and now he was up for a lot of teasing. He tried to move a little to test how stiff his body had gotten and when he got to his feet he could only let out a defeated grunt. They were numb- Eren's head lying in his lap and his position against the wall had apparently cut off circulation to his feet badly and he couldn't really move them much.

"You two- how did you- why are you- oh god... it's too cute!" was all Hange was managing to babble out. Levi rolled his eyes and took a deep breath- now it was time to try and handle this.

"First of all- Hange shut the fuck up Eren's still asleep" Levi said in a low voice, managing to meet each one of their eyes with a solid glare, "secondly, I would get up and drag you out of this hallway but my legs are numb so either leave now or get out what you want to say". Hange just started cackling hysterically.

"Uhh, can I ask a question?" Dr Ilse ventured and Levi sighed out deeply- they were never going to leave. Apparently she took his sigh as a 'yes' and continued talking with a smirk, "what are you two doing up here?"

And that had Levi quiet. His brain was still foggy from sleep and the only thing it had registered was that they had been caught snuggled up under a blanket in a hallway but then he remembered which hallway and... double fuck. They were outside of Historia's door. 

"We couldn't sleep" Levi mumbled knowing that it wasn't going to work, Hange alone was relentless but this- this was going to be painful.

"You couldn't sleep so you came up here?" Dr Ilse said with a smirk, "You came to sleep outside of Historia's door?"

Levi groaned- why hadn't he stayed awake and on look out?! And then Eren shifted slightly on his lap, a little contented breathe escaping his lips and his warm hand moving a little over Levi's thigh. Levi glanced down at him and smiled, he knew exactly why he'd fallen asleep and the reason was still fast asleep on him. He always got a little too comfortable whenever he was around Eren, hell, a year ago he barely slept 4 hours a night and now he was falling asleep in hallways just because Eren was in his lap.

Apparently the little smile didn't go unnoticed by the people around him and Levi watched as their smiles became predatory.

"Were you two worried about Historia?" Hange asked with a smirk, she knew the answer- they all did, she just wanted to hear Levi say it. But before Levi could come up with something or move his arms enough to strangle Hange, Eren moved in his lap again and Levi glanced down. His eyes were blinking open and his hands had curled into the blanket to try and pull it closer around him, he was still half-asleep but even still his eyes moved to find Levi's. A soft smile graced his lips.

"Hi" he murmured and Levi couldn't control his mouth as it turned up into a small smile, he couldn't not smile at Eren.

"Morning" Levi whispered back softly, he didn't even bother to look at their audience, he knew full well that their faces would be a mix of surprise and shock at his sudden change of mood.

"Where'm I?" Eren whispered his eyes trying to look around while also trying hard not to move away from his comfortable spot.

"Hallway outside Historia's room" Levi replied.

"Oh, right, we couldn't sleep" Eren said softly and smiled, "sleeping here was a much better idea". He yawned, his face scrunching up as he drew in a deep breath.

"Not so much" Levi said casually and his eyes flicked over to the people standing near them and then back to Eren, "we have an audience".

"Oh, shit" Eren answered and for a second he tried to crawl under the blanket and hide, "is it Hange?" Levi only nodded in answer and watched as Eren's face flushed in embarrassment.

"We didn't really think this one through, did we?" Eren said quietly, biting his lip.

"No, we didn't" Levi answered dryly and for some reason that made Eren smile, he sat up slowly and apparently he had forgotten their conversation about an audience because he leaned forward and kissed Levi's lips softly.

"I'll admit" Eren breathed out, now only a small space from Levi "not my best plan". Levi huffed out a laugh but had to put some distance between himself and his husband, _he_ was fully aware of the people watching them.

As Eren's face fell at Levi pushing him away Levi raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Audience, remember?" That jerked Eren wide awake and he clambered to put more space between them, shifting his body over the floor and turning to get a look at the people watching them. Levi watched as Eren's face went from slightly pink to flushed crimson, showing his complete embarrassment at having been caught sleeping on Levi in a hallway.

"C-Commander... Hange..." Eren stuttered, his eyes widening and landing on the other two "We- we were just... sleeping?" He finished it like a question, his eyes flicking from Levi to the others to see whether they were buying what he was saying. Hange was laughing again and surprisingly so was Erwin, Dr Ilse raised an eyebrow in amusement but when she spoke she sounded kind.

"Eren, you're allowed to be worried about Historia" she said and when Eren blushed a little deeper, she stepped forward and crouched down so they were on eye level, "and you are definitely allowed to be worried about your baby".

That had both Levi and Eren going red but Dr Ilse only laughed happily, "I'm not judging, trust me, I've seen a lot worse. Sleeping close to your kid is nothing to be embarrassment about and honestly it makes me really happy to see".

"Our fearsome Captain sleeping all cuddled up in a hallway and getting caught however" Hange interjected with an evil smirk at Levi.

Levi shot her an dead look but before he could say anything Eren spoke up. "It's my fault" he said quietly and then stared at Hange with determination, "I was really worried about Historia and the baby and I couldn't sleep, I said I wanted to be closer and Levi only came with me because I asked him too".

It was almost the truth, Levi thought and then sighed. Eren had made an attempt to salvage a little piece of Levi's reputation but Levi found himself not really giving a shit.

"Eren, it's OK, I wanted to be here as well" he said dryly and as Eren looked back at him, he made an attempt to stand up. His legs had woken up a little but now they were shooting with pins and needles and he straightened his face to try and hide his discomfort.

"Alright, we're leaving" Levi said firmly and grabbed Eren's hand to pull him up, Eren still had the blanket tucked haphazardly around him and with one last glare at the people watching them Levi strode past with Eren's hand in his own and the blanket trailing after them.

 

***

They ate breakfast alone trying desperately to avoid both Hange and Erwin, although for different reasons, while Hange was just being loud and obnoxious which Levi had predicted, Erwin just kept giving him funny looks as if he were trying to work something out. Levi rolled his eyes and ignored them instead turning and talking to Eren.

"You going into town today?" Levi asked and watch as Eren shook his head slightly.

"Uh, no, I want to stay on the base today, just in case" Eren answered as his cheeks tinged pink. Levi rolled his eyes slightly but understood, he knew he was going to have other things on his mind today while he tried to train recruits.

"Library?" he inquired but Eren shrugged.

"Maybe" he answered, "I might do some more research".

"You still worried about the-" Levi tried but Eren cut him off with a shushing noise, Levi raised an eyebrow in confusion and stared at Eren until he spoke.

"People could hear you talking about the, uh, the thing" Eren answered quietly and Levi had to hold back a laugh. 

"Seriously?" Levi said with a smirk and Eren hit him lightly on the arm.

"Yes! We don't want people to know just yet and if we keep talking about it so openly someone will overhear us" Eren muttered.

"Well, what do you suggest? A codename?" Levi teased but groaned as he saw the light in Eren's eye's at the suggestion, "No, I will not refer to this situation under a codename".

"Please? It's brilliant" Eren pleaded and Levi sighed totally taken in by Eren's bright green eyes and droopy mouth.

"Fine" he muttered annoyed at himself at how easily Eren won arguments between them, he really was wrapped around Eren's little finger.

"Yay! Now to come up with a name... hmm... any ideas?" Eren said turning to Levi with a happy smile.

"No, I'm not coming up with codenames" he grumbled and Eren laughed at him.

"God, you're so grumpy sometimes! Ooh, I know Grumpy Junior" Eren exclaimed with a grin.

Levi just rolled his eyes "Firstly, you do know I'm not biologically linked to this kid, right? And secondly, it's a bit obvious".

Eren grinned knowing he had successfully gotten Levi to join in, "It's fine, you'll be its father so no doubt the grumpy will rub off". Levi tried to roll his eyes at Eren's reasoning but the little sentence had brought butterflies to his stomach at the thought that he was going to be someone's father. And pretty damn soon, as well.

"What about noodle? Or bean.. hmm, no. I like Grumpy, we'll just drop the Junior part, for now" Eren decided with a smile and Levi just sighed in defeat. Of all the things Eren could have come up with of course, their baby was going to be referred to as Grumpy. It could have been a lot worse, though, Levi thought.

"It's perfect, because if I mention Grumpy everyone will think I'm just talking about you" Eren grinned, much too happy with himself.

"Fine" Levi said, admitting defeat, he noticed the time and with a quick kiss on Eren's cheek he stood up to leave, "Make sure you come and eat lunch and don't worry too much about Historia, she'll be fine".

Eren nodded, his smile fading a little at the reminder about Historia, Levi let out a breathe and said, "We'll both go and see Grumpy later". At his use of the codename, Eren's entire face lit up and he grinned at Levi, who had to tear himself aware to actually leave. He was so fucked if their kid turned out anything like Eren, which was, well, pretty fucking certain. He let out a deep breathe and resigned himself to the knowledge that in less than nine months he was done for.

 

***

 

Eren couldn't help going back to his spot in the hallway after breakfast, he did go by the library and pick up some books but he needed to be close to their baby or otherwise he couldn't calm down. Dr Ilse and Nifa would walk past every now and then but they just smiled at each other and let it go, there wasn't any way they could get him to leave anyway. He knew logically that there was nothing that he could do except wait until Dr Ilse told him there was nothing to worry about and well, even then he was going to worry. Just physically being close to Historia and his baby was helping though and with nothing better to do he made himself comfy and dove into books about parenting.

He had been pleasantly surprised with the amount of pregnancy and parenting books he had found in the library and although he knew the library was huge and that they would definitely have something, he hadn't thought a military base's library would have this much. He wasted away his morning reading up on the care of a baby for the first few months, he wanted to be absolutely prepared and he figured that even if he could do nothing now, he could anything and everything once Grumpy was born.

He smiled everytime he thought of their little codename, he had stumbled on it but the more he thought about it the more he loved it. Even though the kid was genetically his he figured that having its codename based entirely off Levi would help, even if only slightly, to make Levi feel more connected and to have the baby feel more like theirs. In between flipping through books his mind would wander, he started getting trying to come up with ideas for him and Levi to help get though this pregnancy.

Going through with a surrogate mother was going to be hard on them, even though he liked Historia and was excited for their kid, he knew that it would be difficult at times. He never wanted Levi to feel left out or that he wasn't an important part, Levi was going to just as much of a parent as he was after the baby was born but for now Eren tried coming up with ideas to make little Grumpy feel like theirs.

It was proving difficult, seeing as their baby was literally attached to Historia and that she would have to be present for all of their interactions he was struggling to come up with something. It was something that the more he thought on it the more he realised how important it was to follow through, he needed Levi to be an active parent and to feel connected to their kid. There was no way in hell he was going to let his own family situation follow him through to his new one.

His thoughts were interrupted when he smelled food, he glanced up and saw Levi walking down the hall towards him carrying two plates off food. He blushed knowing Levi had caught him out with both not coming to lunch and also worrying over Historia but Levi didn't mention it, he just gave Eren his plate and sat down next to him.

"How's Grumpy?" Levi asked and Eren heard the slight teasing laced through the question but he could only smile as Levi used their little nickname.

"Fine, nothing's changed" Eren answered and then looked over at Levi, he should just talk to him directly, right?

"What's wrong?" Levi asked without even looking away from his plate.

"Nothing, I was just... well, I was trying too... it's nothing" Eren stammered, feeling a little silly.

"Eren" Levi said seriously and Eren sighed.

 "I was just trying to come up with ways that we could have moments with our baby... without Historia" Eren muttered quietly and Levi's eyes widened.

"Do you not like her?" Levi asked firmly and Eren was quick to shake his head.

"No, I like her just fine.. it's just that this baby is ours and even though she's carrying it I want it to feel like _ours_ , you know" Eren tried to explain, "everytime we want to see our kid, she'll be there and I know it's what we signed up for but I keep getting caught up in the idea that we won't be alone with our baby until after it's born".

Levi was staring at him silently so he just kept babbling, "I know it's selfish but how do we do this? We can't be around it every second of the day and if something happens we won't be the first to know, we won't be the first ones to feel it move or kick or-". Levi had leaned forward and cut him off with a kiss.

"I know, some of it is going to suck" Levi said softly "but think about what happens after, we'll be the first one's to see it smile or laugh, we'll be the one's feeding it and changing it and teaching it how to walk. We get to name it".

"It already has a name" Eren teased with a small smile and Levi groaned.

"Name it properly" Levi said firmly making Eren laugh, "We can go and talk to Dr Ilse, I'm sure she has a lot of ideas but I know there's a lot we can do... we just have to get over the initial awkwardness of Historia always being there". Eren nodded and watched as Levi, now finished lunch, started to get up.

"Where are you going?" Eren asked as Levi took his empty plate off him.

"I'm taking these back to the dining hall and then going to my office" Levi replied.

"Oh, OK" Eren said softly, a little disappointed he wasn't going to stay longer.

"I'm just going to get my paperwork and come back" Levi said dryly and Eren glanced back up at him.

"Really?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, unfortunately I work better when I'm not stressed out" Levi confirmed.

"And when you're near me" Eren teased but Levi only sighed and nodded in agreement.

 

***

 

A week passed and Historia was officially off bedrest, it was over the top to have kept her there so long but with Levi's unmoving glare and Eren's stubbornness a week was what had happened. Hange kept laughing at their overprotective tendencies but didn't do anything about it knowing full well she wouldn't win any argument when up against either of them if it concerned their kid.

They had calmed down enough to sleep in their own beds after that first night but Eren found himself planted outside of her room during the day and Levi would even join him some afternoons. They had been consumed entirely by the whole situation and went out of their way to make sure Historia was eating well and resting a lot. It was overkill, they knew it, Dr Ilse knew and so did everyone else but they couldn't stop so they just went with it.

Having Historia start to walk around again caused a whole new set of worries for both Eren and Levi, she was young, pretty and pregnant and on a military base. After Levi had caught one of the male soldiers talking to her he had immediately walked over, dragged the man away by his shirt and then placed a guard to stand by and watch her. Eren had agreed with Levi but he was the only one. Historia had gotten mad and told both of them in no uncertain terms that she was not a prisoner and would not be watched like one.

Hange and Armin had been nearby when that had happened and had both started giggling at Eren and Levi's shock. Levi had begrudgingly removed the guard and Eren had pleaded with her very nicely to be more careful and that they were only looking out for her safety. Historia had sighed at that and let it go and Eren and Levi had learnt not to try and guard her.

Their lives returned mostly to normal after that, Eren returned to sitting with his friends during some meals explaining his absence as nothing more than wanting to spend some time with Levi. His friends shrugged it off as normal newly wed behavior and caught Eren up on the little things that had been going on over the past few weeks.

For starters, Jean and Marco seemed to be a thing. Nothing had been confirmed but Ymir told Eren she had caught them talking alone in the common room and that they seemed pretty intimate. Reiner said he had mentioned Jean's to Marco and he went bright red while Connie had seen them training together late one afternoon. Eren had a need to protect Marco but he figured that Jean wasn't a bad guy he was just an asshole and if he wasn't an asshole to Marco than it was fine. But mostly it helped him to think that if he ever treated Marco badly then he would have nearly all of the recruits on his ass and he would probably be running back to Maria.

Ymir was another problem that Eren had to solve. Historia was sitting with them at meals again and he knew that Ymir liked her, he could tell by the very subtle way she pulled Historia into the seat next to hers and glared at anyone that so much as tried to speak with her. He had concentrated on Historia though to see whether she knew and by the obvious guilt and confusion that flashed across her face she did. Whenever she caught Eren's eye he would send her a sympathetic smile which she would return, they had a little time though and they could figure it out.

 

They hadn't told anyone yet and no one really wanted too, Levi and Eren wanted to wait and make sure both Historia and Grumpy were 100% healthy but they also wanted to keep it a secret between them a little while longer. 

"We should probably tell people soon" Levi said coolly late one afternoon after he and Eren had finished doing laps, they had gone back to training fairly quickly and found that it helped a lot with excess stress and also provided a good time to think things through.

"Not yet, she's only like a month pregnant we need to wait longer. Most people don't really tell anyone until after like three months" Eren said and then took a big drink of water.

"Really? Why?" Levi asked as he slumped to the ground next to where Eren sat.

"The uh, I think it's because the most problems happen in the first three months and there's a higher chance of miscarriage" Eren explained his voice turning a little worried, "nobody wants to tell everyone they're having a kid and then have that happen".

"No, definitely not" Levi agreed with a wince and then to turn Eren's thoughts away form where he knew they were going he said, "so I was thinking about what you said".

Eren turned to him in confusion until he kept going, "about trying to do things to make the baby feel more like ours..." he explained and Eren's confusion turned to surprise.

"You thought of something?" he asked and Levi nodded slightly.

"I thought maybe we could paint the spare room, maybe start remodeling it as a nursery?" Levi offered nervously but he didn't need to worry, Eren grinned and jumped on him pressing him into damp grass.

"Yes" Eren said excited and then kissed Levi firmly, "I love that idea".

"I thought we could go with green" Levi said quietly, knowing that Eren was going laugh at how much thought he had put into this and he was right. Eren's laugh bubbled up, happy and carefree.

"To match the rabbit and the romper?" he exclaimed and Levi nodded ever so slightly.

"Keep the theme going" Levi continued much to Eren's delight.

"And here I thought I was going to be the one going baby crazy" Eren said on a laugh and Levi had to smile at that, if he had had to pick he would have thought Eren as well, apparently he was wrong. Eren kissed him again but before they could get to carried away Levi remembered where they were and pushed himself off the ground, pulling Eren with him.

"Dinner?" Levi offered and Eren grinned.

"Yeah, you can tell me what other ideas you've got" Eren teased lightly and Levi just rolled his eyes. Yeah, he wasn't walking away from this one without some teasing, although he found he didn't mind all that much.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I thought you guys deserved an entire chapter of fluff for waiting so long for an update and here it is :P I hope you guys liked it, I promise I'll update again soon!


	30. Welcome To The Jungle

Levi was called away again.

This time they had notice though. Levi still left in the early hours of the morning but this time Eren was dressed and able to come out and see him off properly. He stood at attention like the few other soldiers who were awake and coming out to see Levi's squad off but his eyes were glued on Levi and he was actively trying to calm his breathing down. They didn't mention a time line.

Levi had kissed Eren goodbye in their room and promised he would try and come home safely, Eren had run his hands through Levi's hair and warned him that 'he'd better'. Outside of their room they were very proper, they had walked down to the stables together and then separated. Levi had mounted his horse and led the way off base.

With one last look and a soft smile in Eren's direction Levi rode away while Eren just waved and watched him leave. Levi had only mentioned enough about the mission to help put Eren at ease, it was an recon mission to check out information they had been give, it was very similar to his last mission. There should be no danger and he would be home soon enough.

Eren fared a lot better this time around, after Levi had disappeared from sight he had tried to put him mostly out of his mind. He had a lot to worry about at the moment and Levi was just another thing to add to the list. He was so consumed with plans for his new building and worry for Historia and the baby that he honestly had very little room left to worry about Levi's safety. The worry was still there of course but for the most part he could ignore it and focus on other things. 

Eren had decided that he would head back into town that day with Armin and continue with his plans for the building, he had to get to work right away if he wanted it ready by the time the baby was born. He rode of base accompanied by Armin and two other soldiers and quickly made it into town. One soldier waited outside on guard while the other went in with him and Armin, he was here today to start taking notes on everything that needed renovating in order to make the building livable.

He had wanted to start on the nursery with Levi but the moment they had started coming up with ideas Levi had been called away and Eren simply couldn't move forward with that room until Levi was back safely. So instead he focused all of his energy on his work and trying to get the repairs on his building underway. He figured that if the building was finished and up and running he could at least bring the baby with him if he needed to and it wouldn't be dangerous. 

Eren and Armin walked around the empty building writing things down and talking about ideas they had and what they needed to do, by the end of the day they had a huge list and Eren breathed out a sigh. This would be a huge undertaking. The building was mostly in good condition, the structure was solid and well built but there was a lot of maintenance to do inside. Rooms needed to be painted, plumbing and kitchen installed, floors redone, not to mention all of the work to make the place look nice. Eren groaned when he realised his timeline was less than 8 months now.

Eren spent the next four days getting up early and going into town to organize his plans, he decided he would start with all structural plans first, plumbing, kitchen, bathrooms etc. and when that was done he would start on painting and design aspects. He was incredibly busy talking to tradespeople and getting qualified people to check out the place and tell him what needs to happen, as well as booking times for people to come in and start the work. He would get home just as the sun was setting and immediately go and check in on Historia.

After the initial panicking had calmed down and Eren had forced himself to stop watching her every move he had become more relaxed and in turn, so had Historia. Eren would find her when he came back to the base and they would eat dinner together with the other recruits and then simply hang out afterwards, sometimes with others and sometimes they would just sit and read in the common rooms. 

It was a lot better now, she was just coming into her sixth week and Dr Ilse had said there were no foreseeable problems, everyone was healthy and doing well. Eren still worried but with his mind focused on renovations and the longer Levi was away the less he was worrying about Historia, his thoughts being totally chewed up by Levi. Eren was sleeping better this time as well, not as much as when Levi was there and definitely not as much as he should be but he was sleeping. He had made up a little nest of blankets on the couch, still not able to sleep alone in their bed, and most of the time he was so tired at the end of the day he would just fall down and pass out. He did find himself staring absentmindedly out of windows every now and then thinking of Levi but when he realised what he was doing he just shook it off and through himself back into his work.

Levi returned after five days. This time they had notice, scouts had seen them riding back in the afternoon sun and then suddenly six horses had thundered back onto base. All of the soldiers had made their way out to welcome them home safely, Eren standing off to the side impatiently. Levi sought him out immediately, before even going to Erwin to report on the success or failure of the mission, he was jumping off his horse and striding over to spot he had seen Eren and immediately wrapped him up in quick but solid hug.

"You're not dead on you're feet this time" Levi murmured and Eren grinned.

"Not as worried this time" Eren replied softly before letting go off his hold on Levi and walking with him back to where his squad was gathered near Erwin. They saw them approaching and there were smirks and knowing smiles but surprisingly everyone stayed pretty silent on their Captain's priorities.

"Levi, I'll see you in my office in half an hour for a report" Erwin called over to him and Levi nodded. It would be enough time for him to shower and change and put his stuff away before having to go see his Commander. Levi, his hand tightly around Eren's, then made his way back to the barracks with his pack swung over one shoulder.

"How did it go?" Eren asked once they were alone in their room. Levi was moving around packing his things away and pulling out clean clothes, Eren sat cross legged on their bed just watching as Levi started tiredly undoing the buckles and mechanisms on his 3DM Gear.

"Pointless" Levi replied dryly, "it was more false information and a waste of five days".

"Do you get a lot of false reports?" Eren asked, he didn't know too much about what exactly Levi did and what missions he would actually be involved in.

"Sometimes, we have to go and investigate though, just in case" Levi answered, he was in the process of unbuckling his gear with his thin, nimble fingers, Eren was enjoying watching him but decided as Levi got to the buckles around his thighs that it would be more fun to help. He jumped off the bed and headed over to wear Levi stood, he gently pulled Levi's hands away from the buckle he was undoing and replaced them with his own as he knelt down on the ground. Levi raised an eyebrow at his actions but didn't say anything, just letting Eren help him out of his gear.

"What type of information is it?" Eren asked softly, he was finishing up with the gear and slowly pulling it off from around Levi's legs and laying it on the ground.

"Reports of unrest and minor disputes, sometimes at a border, sometimes between towns but for the moment it's mostly to do with you" Levi answered honestly. Eren glanced up at Levi's face, his hands hovering in place near Levi's inner thigh.

"Me?" he asked, the worry very clear in his voice.

"Well, you and me, this alliance with Maria. You know that some people are against it and that's my job at the moment, to make sure we have the peace that we want and that we agreed on" Levi explained and Eren nodded, his fingers moving to the edge of Levi's pants and slowly undoing them and moving them down and over his legs. 

"People are still unhappy about it?" Eren asked, he had pulled one leg all the way down and Levi had placed a steadying hand on his shoulder while he lifted his leg up for Eren to pull the pants off.

"For the most part everything is fine, all of the reports so far have been false and I believe people have come to accept the alliance, they may not be happy about it but there's no denying that we have gotten peace out of it" Levi said as he removed the other leg from his pants.

"Is the baby going to cause problems or will it help?" Eren asked curiously with only a small amount of worry making it into his voice, he knew that in Maria the baby would be welcomed and adored but Trost was different and he was worried that someone might target their child for revenge.

"No, Eren, the baby will never be a problem" Levi assured him, slowly guiding him onto his feet and placing a cool hand on his cheek, "if anything it will help, people may start to see us as actual people and not just a representative of a country. We'll be parents and I think that information will make people less likely to want to hurt us plus if anyone tries to get to our kid they'll have to get through me and I don't like their chances of that".

Eren couldn't help but laugh lightly at Levi's words.

"Now, I need a shower, you coming?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow and Eren grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

 

***

 

Coming into the eighth week and Dr Ilse and Nifa were making plans to go home, they were prepping Hange on every single detail of the pregnancy and also organizing for a midwife from town to be on call if she was needed. Dr Ilse figured that if Historia made it past the twelfth week mark without any issues that the rest of the pregnancy should go smoothly, she really was only brought in for the start of the process, other capable people could take over without any problems.

With Dr Ilse leaving also meant that Eren was going to have to say goodbye to Armin soon as he had already stayed longer than he should have and would be returning to Maria with them. Armin apologized for having to leave so soon but he said that Mikasa would need him home, not to mention that he needed to tell her in person that Eren was going to be a father, Eren would have felt her rage all the way from Trost if she had learnt about it through a letter or someone else. Jean, however, had made a very convincing argument to stay. He had said that both Eren and Historia really should have a Marian soldier there they know and trust, just in case. Eren snorted when he heard that knowing full well that he only wanted to stay for Marco and that he just happened to have a pretty valid excuse.

It also meant they had only a small amount of time left to figure out how to tell people what was happening. Eren had spoken to Historia and given her permission to tell Ymir first and in her own way, when she had told her then Eren and Levi would make the news public. Although they had no idea how to go about it yet.

Later that week Eren was lying on the couch with Levi, who was stretched out with his back to the couch and his toes just resting on the armrest while Eren was slumped on top of him, his legs thrown over Levi’s and their fingers laced together on Levi’s chest.

“What about an announcement?” Eren offered softly, they had been trying to brainstorm ways to get the news out in the easiest and most efficient way possible. Unfortunately being who they were, there was a certain amount of tradition and protocol they had to follow in order for the announcement to be socially acceptable.

Levi huffed a little and said, “I don’t really do announcements”. Eren laughed at that, yeah, Levi didn’t really seem the type to make a big deal about announcing news to people.

“We could just not say anything and let Historia get really big and just let the rumours run rampant?” Eren teased and Levi snorted.

“Or we could just let Hange loose” Levi suggested with a smirk making Eren giggle.

“Everyone in Trost would know within 24 hours” Eren said happily. Levi couldn’t help his smile at Eren’s laugh and softly ran his fingers through Eren’s hair, it was getting a little long and Levi thought absently whether Eren might let him trim it. And then suddenly Eren perked up and his body stiffened a little.

“I have an idea” Eren said, raising his head to address Levi and meet his eyes. Levi just raised an eyebrow as a go ahead for Eren to continue. “You may not like it, it might be pretty public” Eren warned.

“What do you have planned?” Levi said carefully and Eren grinned with mischief.

“Well, I have an ulterior motive for this but what if we throw a party” Eren said and Levi couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in distaste.

“Just hear me out” Eren said, his voice coming out faster and with more excitement over his new idea, “We throw a benefit in town to promote my surrogacy agency and get it public and noticed and we invite a bunch of important people to come. And then to help get rid of any negativity or confusion over the whole idea we announce that Historia is pregnant with our kid through my mum's agency and then they can feel free to ask us any questions they have as we're going through the process ourselves”.

Eren paused after that and watched Levi’s face as he processed what Eren had said but before Levi could get a word out Eren had sighed and let his shoulders drop.

“It’s stupid, don’t worry it was a bad idea” Eren sighed but Levi sat up quickly, dragging Eren with him and fixing him with a firm look.

“Actually, it’s pretty brilliant” Levi said coolly and Eren’s mouth popped open in surprise, “It’ll let us announce the baby in a formal setting and it'll abide by those terrible protocols we have to follow but it will split focus with the Surrogacy Agency. It’ll bring in important people and let them know just how invested you are in this program because you’re doing it yourself and if people are still unsure then they can watch us and see how it works first hand”.

“But it’ll be very public” Eren warned but he was smiling at Levi’s praise.

Levi smiled sincerely at him and rubbed his hand up and down Eren arm, “Despite popular opinion I can manage a night of socialising, especially if it’s in order to support you”.

Eren leaned forward and flung his arms around Levi’s neck to bring him close and then he kissed him fiercely. Levi’s mouth was warm and inviting and Eren couldn’t help pressing his tongue in and deepening the kiss, Levi let out a little groan of surprise as Eren opened his mouth and pushed himself further inside meeting Levi’s tongue with his own.

Eren let his hands climb up under Levi’s shirt and over his back, he pushed his body forward and pressed Levi’s back into the couch again, he moved his own leg over Levi’s body so that he was sitting on top of him, chest to chest and his hips grinding slowly against Levi’s.

Levi’s hands wandered to Eren’s waist and dug into his hips, making Eren let out a little grunt of pleasure. Before Levi could move to tug on Eren’s pants, Eren’s mouth suddenly broke away from his own.

“I have to start planning” Eren said excitedly and tried to move off of Levi… who really had no intention of letting Eren get away anytime soon. He gripped Eren’s waist and wrapped his legs around Eren’s and held tight, so while Eren tried to move away he was stuck to Levi and he let a squeak before they both ended up tumbling to the floor in a heap.

Levi was pinning Eren to the ground underneath him, he had moved his hands to Eren’s wrists and carefully held them over his head while pressing down on the rest of his body.

“Sex first and then planning” Levi said into Eren’s ear, his voice low and silky. Eren laughed happily and wriggled under Levi, testing out just how stuck he was.

“Nuh-uh, I have to plan, I have so many ideas” Eren laughed out, his eyes glittering with evil intentions.

“Sex first and then I’ll help with planning” Levi negotiated and with an evil smile in return as he slowly rubbed his hips against Eren’s, letting Eren feel Levi through their pants. Eren sighed a little at the tingle that ran through him at the touch but tried to stay strong.

“How about you help me plan and then we have the whole night to ourselves” Eren suggested with a raised eyebrow and watched as Levi took in his words and thought about it. But apparently the need to have Eren right now was strong and as Levi leaned forward and pressed a slow, deep kiss into Eren’s mouth, Eren felt his resolve fading with each soft swipe off Levi’s tongue.

“Fine, sex now but if we’re up for hours planning then it’s your fault” Eren responded with fake resignation, Levi grinned at his win and kissed Eren roughly while his hands let go of Eren’s and went back to his still done up pants.

“As long as I have you now we can stay up the whole night for all I care” Levi whispered and Eren smiled happily, thinking just how fucking lucky he was that out of all the people he could have married, he had gotten Levi.

Meanwhile Levi kissed Eren’s smiling mouth thinking that he couldn’t imagine his life anymore with his bright eyed, brilliant husband with him every step of the way.

 

***

 

They ended up staying awake until almost four in the morning as Eren just kept coming up with more ideas to make the night go smoothly and be able to get the most out of it. Levi volunteered helpful information and helped Eren to plan something with Trost people in mind, as Eren had really only attended the one event here and didn’t know all of the finer social details to include.

They had decided they would set the date for a month away which would land in Historia’s twelfth week and they could happily announce their news without too much worry over things going badly afterwards. Four weeks also gave them the chance to organize and plan all of the details, it would be rushed but well, they figure they were kind of on a deadline anyway.

They had to decide who to invite as well, if they were just normal people they would have preferred to have a small gathering of only their close friends and family but as Eren was a Prince and Levi was a Captain they unfortunately had a responsibility and duty to keep a lot more people in the loop about their private lives than they wanted and had to announce their news in a respectable setting with people of influence and importance in attendance.

Eren and Levi had decided to tell their closest friends a couple of days before in a hope to have some control over their own wishes plus they also wanted Historia to have a bit of a barrier against nosy people. They figured that if the recruits she had made friends with knew beforehand they would be able to protect her instead of joining in with millions of questions.

Also, they hoped that if some people knew already they could prep them to spread positivity around to the others and help to make this something good and exciting rather than a weird curiosity for them to speculate about later. Even though Eren had thought of the plan he was starting to get apprehensive about the entire situation, surrogacy was not done in Trost and although it was relatively common in Maria, Eren didn’t think that information would really help too much. He knew that some people were still not a fan of Maria or their customs.

Levi helped to ease him just by being there, without trying to sound arrogant he let Eren know that his approval would go a long way to help other people to accept surrogacy. If their Captain was OK with it and even going through the process himself than surely it wasn’t a bad thing, Levi had said making Eren sigh a little in relief.

They also planned to send Armin back a few weeks earlier than planned. They knew the hell that would hit them if either Mikasa or the King found out they had announced the news to the masses of Trost before letting them know first. Armin was going to ride back with a few emissaries from Trost and give the King and Princess the official notification of the next royal family member. Eren didn’t want to let Armin go early but he didn’t know what else he could do, Dr Ilse and Nifa were going to leave the day after the event so they could attend and help to answer any questions people may have as well as start the mingling of people between their countries and start making more alliances.

They had decided to hold it at the same venue as the Military ball, it was a huge building but they were going to invite quite a few people as Eren had not just wanted to invite the rich and influential but extend a friendly hand towards more common people. They were going to invite tradesman and local business owners, not to mention the soldiers and recruits were all invited. Eren had wanted more of an air of casualness and wanted to meet more locals in an appropriate setting, he wanted them to know him as well and talk with them and see that he was just a person instead of a figurehead from an enemy country.

Levi had smiled when Eren mentioned that he was going to invite them, it was a wonderfully subtle way to help with any dissent among the people. Hating a figure was much harder than hating a person and if that person was Eren with his beautiful smile and easy laugh than it would be harder still. It was also a first step in being more inclusive and helping Eren to network for his business, common people would be more likely to know someone who would be in need of this opportunity, and they would also be more likely to know young women who would be more likely to participate.

Levi had spent most of the night just listening to his husband, the whole time becoming more and more awed over the brilliance of the person next to him. Eren was terribly creative and inspiring and although Levi did love him he knew that wasn’t the reason he was getting awed, Eren sounded so happy and exciting. He was like a breath of fresh air had breezed through Trost. He had new ideas and clever ways to make them happen and Levi didn’t think he’d ever get tired of listening to Eren talk.

First thing they did after Levi finished morning practice was go up to Erwin and run the idea by him. Erwin looked flawed the whole time Eren spoke, they could only guess that never in million years had Erwin expected Levi to volunteer to attend a social event let alone propose and help run one. Besides the initial shock however Erwin listened with intense focus and only when Eren had finished did he speak up.

“I like it” Erwin said with a small smile and Eren grinned with excitement, “it’s an excellent idea. I was actually going to speak with you soon about how to proceed with an announcement but evidently you’ve already got everything sorted. It's a good setting and if you want to give me a list of people to invite I can have invitations sent out over the next few days".

"You'll have it by tomorrow" Levi said dryly. Eren and Levi turned to leave and as the door banged closed behind them Eren broke their silence with a despairing sigh.

"Oh god, what are these invitations even going to say?" Eren groaned, "Eren and Levi invite you to a party to tell you some very personal information about their lives?"

Levi snorted but definitely saw Eren's point, "It's more like 'Eren and Levi invite you to ask them a million shitty questions and then judge them on their choices in life'".

"Or 'spend your evening learning much more information than you ever needed to know about a strangers life and then make unnecessary comments about it'" Eren continued with a grimace.

"We are definitely going to come to regret this decision" Levi said dryly taking Eren's hand in his own and squeezing it gently.

"Yeah, I think I already do but unfortunately we have no other choice" Eren said on a sigh "if we didn't organize this ourselves Erwin would have initiated something, at least this way we can do it in our own way and we have most of the power".

"Not to mention some shameless self promotion about your business" Levi teased making Eren laugh loudly.

"Yeah, can't forget that" Eren agreed.

"I think I'll be glad when all of this is over" Levi said, his voice quiet and Eren only just hearing it.

"You mean the party?" Eren asked.

"No, I mean, it'll be nice when the baby's born it's ours alone and our lives are a little less complicated than they are right now" Levi said quietly.

Eren nodded in agreement but couldn't help laughing, "I don't think that'll last though, we're just going to end up swapping surrogacy and family dramas for arguing over who has to get out of bed to stop little Grumpy from crying".

"I think we need a holiday and we've barely started yet" Levi said darkly while Eren continued to laugh.

"We'll have to organise something before the baby arrives for just the two of us then" Eren said happily, taking Levi's comment very seriously.

"I think I can manage an entire weekend of just you" Levi agreed with a smirk.

"It'll be easy" Eren said on a laugh, "we won't even need to pack any clothes". Levi just rolled his eyes at Eren but secretly looked forward to definitely following through on that idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo sneak peek for next week everyone finds out about the baby (finally!!) and we have some Historia and Levi bonding!!
> 
> Thanks for reading lol as always comments and feedback are always welcome :P


	31. A Part Of That

Levi was walking across the training grounds in the late afternoon when he heard the crying. He stopped and tried to see where it was coming from but after not finding anything he kept walking, this time a little faster, trying desperately not to get caught up in someone else's drama. But when he turned and saw a mess of blonde hair and a small, feminine figure curled up under a tree, he froze instantly. It was Historia.

He was torn, he wanted to go and help her but knew just how terrible he was with comforting people. For some reason, he had married the only person in the world who was actually receptive to his attempts at comfort but with other people... well, honestly they were better off if he left them alone. But it was Historia and she was currently pretty fucking pregnant with his kid, not to mention Eren would have his balls if he ever found out Levi had ignored Historia and left her to cry alone.

He sucked in a deep breathe and stepped over to her.

"Uh, Historia?" he called out and instantly she snapped her head up at his voice and tried desperately to wipe the tears away.

"Levi... its nothing, I'm fine" she said, hiccuping in the middle. Levi rolled his eyes and sighed, she was very obviously not fine, he had caught her crying alone under a tree for fucks sake.

"Can I sit?" he asked stiffly and at her shocked expression he just helped himself and slid gracefully to the ground beside her. He was nervous but he had to ask. He knew Historia was her own person with her own real problems but for the moment he only needed to know one thing, "Is the baby OK?" he whispered. She must have heard the serious worry in his voice because she turned to him quickly and nodded.

"Everything's fine, it's just something personal" Historia said firmly immediately relieving Levi of any fears he had and instantly putting him in his own personal hell. Supporting someone. Comforting them. He was so fucked.

"Do you, uh, want to talk about it?" he tried, he pitched his voice lower trying to go for calm and kind rather than his usual surly growl. She shook her head but bit her lip and Levi knew she wanted to spill, just not to him. Maybe if he tried something personal it would make her open up, he really didn't want Eren to be disappointed with him for not being able to help her. He racked his brain for something and only came up with one thing.

"Did I ever tell you I wanted to open a tea shop?" Levi ventured, Historia glanced over at him quickly with eyes wide with surprise and she shook her head. Levi laughed at her dumbfounded expression, apparently she hadn't been expecting that.

"Yeah, I always wanted one as a kid, I figured that if I owned a shop I could drink all the tea I ever wanted and no one could stop me" Levi continued lightly and laughed at the memory, it was one of the only good ones he had of his childhood which hadn't been ruined.

"Why didn't you do it then?" Historia asked and Levi looked up to find her turned to him and her face open and curious. 

Levi just shrugged and continued talking, inside his heart was beating a little faster in his small success at comfort. "Just better suited for the military, I can help more people this way and they gave me everything I ever wanted, friends, family, Eren... I don't think I would have found that owning a tea shop" Levi answered truthfully with a small laugh, "Plus I found out I probably wouldn't be able to keep the shop open if I just drank all the tea". Historia giggled softly and Levi glanced up and waited just hoping that Historia might trust him a little in return.

"It's Ymir" Historia breathed out after a moment. Ah, Levi thought, that'd do it. "I told her about the baby and the whole reason I'm here" she continued quietly and Levi saw the tears filling up in her eyes again.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Levi nudged and she shook her head.

"She told me I had to leave her alone so she could think" she muttered and tears started to fall again in earnest, "she said I lied to her and led her on and that I shouldn't talk to her for awhile".

She sniffled and looked up to meet Levi's eyes, "I really like her and now I've ruined everything". She started crying harder and Levi started seeing red.

"I'll fucking kill her" Levi growled, instantly becoming protective over the small, fragile girl carrying his kid. If she was upset surely it wasn't good for the baby and fuck, who would ever think  _this_  girl would purposely do anything mean to another human being? There had been a joke circulating that she was a goddess and honestly, Levi didn't think it was too far away from the truth. Ymir would be lucky to be in her life, weird surrogacy situation or not. Besides she wasn't even keeping the baby!

"It's fine" she hiccuped, "she's right... I lied and I led her on... I knew why I was here but I didn't warn her at all".

"That girl is going to run laps until she pukes tomorrow" Levi muttered darkly and strangely enough Historia giggled at him. He looked over at her and saw her glancing down at her still flat stomach and smiled weakly.

"I don't envy this little person when he or she starts to date that's for sure" she said softly, wiping at her eyes again. Levi groaned at the idea, somehow they would either just have to stop the kid from ageing or not let them date at all. He would probably die from the fucking stress.

"Thankyou, Levi" Historia said and shifted over to hug Levi quickly and a little awkwardly, "You made me feel better". Levi just grunted and watched as Historia picked herself up, wiped off the rest of her tears and turned away but before she got to far away she called back, "I think your tea shop would have been really great".

Levi felt his lips tug up into a smile and watched as she returned back to the barracks, as he saw her walk in he noticed a tall figure coming towards him. it was Eren and his face looked funny.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have to kick a pregnant girls butt for trying to hit on my husband" Eren called out, only half teasing. Levi's face turned up at the idea. Eww, he though, just fuck no, that was too fucking weird to even consider.

"Why would I want her when I have you?" Levi answered dryly and Eren smiled happily.

"Good answer" he said as he got closer and plopped down on the ground where Historia was just sitting. "What were you two talking about?" he asked, sounding like he was trying to be casual and just failing miserably.

Levi sighed and leaned in to kiss Eren quickly, he couldn't deny that Eren did look a little cute when he was jealous. "Ymir" was all Levi said and Eren exhaled deeply.

"She told her then?" Eren asked and Levi nodded. 

"Didn't go so well... I heard her crying and kind of panicked about the kid" Levi answered with a grimace, Eren chuckled at that.

"Yeah, that's where I would have gone too" Eren sighed, "Is she OK though?"

"I think she'll be fine, she's pretty tough" Levi confirmed and Eren smiled softly at him.

"So...you tried to comfort her and it actually worked" Eren teased and Levi huffed. Eren started laughing in earnest after that, his head leaning down onto Levi's shoulder and his body scooting in closer. "What did you say to her?" Eren chuckled.

"I told her about the tea shop I wanted to open as a kid" Levi replied with a smile, he loved hearing Eren laugh and couldn't even pretend to be mad at him.

"Oh, I could see you doing that! Although..." Eren grinned and trailed off, he leaned up and kissed Levi softly, "you'd have no customers because everyone would be scared of the short, angry tea man". Levi snickered while Eren continued laughing. They leaned into each other and just enjoyed the others company.

"Ugh... we're going to have to tell people now" Eren groaned out and Levi grimaced, he was not looking forward to it.

"Your friends and mine, huh, do we divide and conquer or is there strength in numbers?" Levi asked with a smirk.

"Definitely strength in numbers. I need you there to protect me in case my friends decide to eat me alive for not telling them sooner" Eren replied quickly.

"We can tackle your friends first and then mine?" Levi offered and Eren just groaned in despair.

"Fine, but I'm not joking about needing protection from those animals" Eren said only half joking, Levi chuckled and after staying seated a moment longer he climbed to his feet and held his hand out to help Eren up.

"Only if you protect me from my friends too" Levi said with a small smile which Eren returned happily.

"Deal" Eren agreed.

"Deal".

 

***

 

"Hey guys, do you mind if we talk to you for a minute?" Eren asked as he walked into the common room. It was completely empty except for the six figures currently occupying the armchairs and beanbags, they looked up as Eren spoke and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. There was no Ymir or Jean. Thank fuck, it was about time he caught a break. Unfortunately Armin had already left a few days ago to return home so Eren didn't have anyone else besides Levi for backup.

"So, you know you're all really important to me" Eren started, looking around and meeting each separate gaze, "and because of that there's something I really want to tell you". Eren took a deep breath but before he could speak Sasha jumped in with excitement.

"Oh my god, you're pregnant" she screamed and then blushed red as she realized what she had said, "wait, no, sorry... don't mind me".

"Well, actually" Eren muttered and he heard a few gasps from their audience.

"You're pregnant?! What the fuck is happening in Maria?" Reiner exclaimed loudly and very confused.

"No, fuck, I'm not pregnant" Eren hurried to explain, waving his hands telling them to stop.

"Oh god, its not Captain Levi is it?" Connie interrupted with a groan, "He's already a living nightmare, he can't add hormonal and moody to that as well!" Eren's mouth dropped open, did these idiots have any idea what was coming out of their mouths?

"Oi, I'm fucking listening you moron and I'm not fucking pregnant" Levi snapped at Connie, making the guy jump and back away.

"What the fuck is going on then?" Sasha whined.

"We  _are_  having a baby but we're using a surrogate" Eren was finally able to explain.

"Oh thank fuck, that's so much less weird" Reiner said sounding relieved. Eren looked over to Levi who had a similar expression of disbelief on his face, they had to be fucking kidding right?!

"Oh, is that why Historia is here?" Annie asked coolly.

"Wait,  _Historia_  is pregnant?" Connie asked the room with wide eyes.

"Poor Ymir" Marco whispered.

"That's why she's been in the shits" Sasha exclaimed.

"Would definitely explain it" Bertolt agreed with a nod.

"Can you fucking believe this?" Levi said to Eren in exasperation but Eren could only shake his head, his friends were really fucking strange. 

"Man, I can't wait to see the Captain with a kid, that's going to be fucking hilarious" Connie shouted to the room and got a few laughs in return. Levi just stepped forward and smacked Connie over the head.

"I'm still here and can still hear you, shit for brains" Levi growled.

"Alright, guys so I need you to promise not to tell anyone" Eren shouted over the voices and he got six curious glances back, "Unfortunately, Levi and I have to do a big public announcement in a week and we can't have this leaked but I wanted to tell you guys mostly so you could be there to support Historia. She's going to need some solid barriers and I thought you guys would be the best people for the job" Eren finished, looking around hopefully.

He got a few nods but mostly people just rolled their eyes as if to say 'well, of course, you idiot'. Eren sighed dramatically, how was it that they weren't reacting at all? No freak outs or barrage of personal questions. 

"I was not expecting this" Eren muttered turning to Levi in confusion. A similar look appeared on Levi's face but he just shrugged.

"Let's just go with it and leave before they return to normal" Levi said dryly, taking Eren's hand and pulling him away.

Eren sighed in defeat, "I'm really scared that is their normal".

 

 ***

 

They found Levi's squad before dinner, they were all out on the training grounds working out together. Levi gritted his teeth, squeezed Eren's hand and walked over to them, now it was his turn.

"Listen up, shitstains, I need  to talk to you" Levi called out loudly and he heard Eren stifle a laugh behind him. He eyed each one of his squad and waited for them to turn and focus on him before he continued. He figured his best option was short, blunt and directly to the point... deliver the news like he was ripping off a bandaid.

"Eren and I are having a kid. Historia Reiss is the surrogate and the baby should be here in about 6 months" Levi said dryly and succinctly.

"Nice" Eren snorted out in a teasing voice next to him but Levi just rolled his eyes and tried to gauge the reaction of the group but as he looked around nobody looked surprised. He glanced at Eren who just shrugged like 'well, they're your friends'.

"And?" Gunter asked which just made Levi more confused.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with the baby is there?" Petra asked worriedly.

"No, the baby is fine. Now, how the fuck did you know about this?" Levi said annoyed. Each member of his squad just looked around in silent conversation.

"You weren't exactly subtle" Eld explained and the rest of them nodded.

"I mean, the baby clothes?" Petra said with a smirk.

"And the hovering over the blonde girl" Olou tacked on.

"The constant secret meetings with all of the doctors" Eld continued, "not to mention the bizarre day trip by King Grisha".

"That and we overheard you two talking about someone called Little Grumpy" Petra said with an evil smirk, "that can really only refer to one person".

"You didn't think to tell me you knew" Levi ground out and narrowed his eyes, they just shrugged again.

"Eh, we figured you'd tell us when you were ready" Gunter answered easily.

"Then you couldn't have feigned surprise?" Levi asked coldly, he could hear Eren giggling next to him and Levi knew he was just weirdly happy that his own little announcement was going just as well as Eren's.

"Not really our thing, Captain" Eld said with a grin and with a few smiles and teasing laughs Levi's squad went back to exactly what they had been doing before.

"Fucking seriously?" Levi muttered darkly. Eren was laughing loudly now but he caught up Levi's hand and held it in his own, Levi slowly being more and more OK with showing affection in public. They headed back into the barracks and toward their rooms, they had a less than an hour before dinner and both of them needed to have some alone time to sort out their ridiculous day.

 

***

 

Levi closed the door behind him and flopped down on the ground with his back leaning against the couch, Eren followed him and slowly crawled into his lap and sat himself between Levi's legs his back to Levi's chest. 

"What a fucking day" Eren sighed.

"You know what? All of those shitty people and not one congratulations" Levi growled.

"We need new friends... ours are fucking weird" Eren agreed with a huff.

"Definitely" Levi sighed, "Not one personal question, nothing invasive they were just a bunch of shitheads".

Eren laughed at Levi's cranky voice but personally was feeling a little relieved no one had made a big deal out of it, yeah they had strange reactions but he knew it could have been so much worse.

"Now that's done, all that's left is to tell the rest of the fucking Kingdom" Levi said on a sigh.

" _And_  my Kingdom" Eren said sounding defeated, " _And_ my family".

"Maybe we could just run away" Levi suggested and Eren laughed lightly, "No seriously, hear me out, we leave now, come back and grab the kid when it's born and then leave again. I should be able to keep us hidden away forever".

"That sounds like an excellent plan" Eren agreed happily with a laugh, "No more protocols or traditions".

"No more shitty recruits or shitty friends" Levi agreed.

"Just us and our baby somewhere far away" Eren breathed out.

"It's a shame we have to be responsible fucking adults" Levi growled but Eren just laughed at his tone and turned his head to capture Levi's lips in a steamy kiss.

"True but there are definite perks to being an adult" Eren whispered in his ear. Levi swallowed hard, he couldn't really argue with that. 

He raised an eyebrow and continued in a low voice, "What did you have in mind?" He watched as Eren's lips turned up into a grin and felt his body shift against his own. Eren twisted his hips and moved his legs slowly until he had turned to face Levi, he was on his knees with his chest pressed against Levi's and his hips grinding down into Levi's crotch. He pressed in and trailed soft kisses down Levi's cheek and neck until he reached the curve of his pale throat.

"This" Eren whispered as he nipped and sucked on the sensitive skin there, Levi let a soft gasp escape.

"And this" he murmured as his hand moved down Levi's chest to rest on his firm stomach, Levi couldn't help but start to breathe a little erratically as Eren's hand explored his chest.

"And this..." Eren breathed out as he moved his head up and nipped Levi's ear while his hand pressed firmly down, palming into Levi's growing length. Levi let out a low grunt at the surprising pressure rubbing against him, Eren was moving fast but fuck if Levi was going to let him get away now. Eren's lips moved back to Levi's and crushed them together, Levi hadn't expected that much force and let a groan of pleasure slip out at the sudden taste of Eren. He recovered quickly and let his hands scrape their way up Eren's back, Eren eliciting a breathy moan into Levi's mouth.

Levi could feel Eren's own length pressing into his stomach so he moved his hand to rub at it through Eren's pants. Eren was moaning into Levi's mouth, the sounds mostly blocked off but Levi could feel them coursing through his body. Somehow they had gone from irritated ranting to dry humping on the floor in a moment although Levi definitely couldn't say he minded.

Eren was rocking against him in a slow, steady rhythm, his mouth hot and wet on Levi's and a hand clutched tightly in his hair. Levi could feel the heat rising to his face and the pressure increasing in his cock as Eren moved against him, quickly forgetting any irritation from the day as he became completely enthralled in Eren. After a moment Eren broke away and stared into Levi's face with a smile on his wet lips.

"I hope you're OK missing dinner tonight" he whispered and Levi chuckled.

"Fuck dinner, as long as you don't move right now I'm happy" Levi answered making Eren snort out a laugh.

"Well, I can move a little bit, right?" Eren teased while he slowly and intentionally rolled his hips against Levi, who could only nod in agreement.

"Good" Eren murmured and rolled his hips again, "it's much more fun that way". And with that Eren took control, pushing Levi to follow his own movements and guiding him to where Eren wanted him. Levi loved when Eren got pushy during sex, there was something so intimately sexy about giving up his control to Eren and simply going along with whatever he wanted to do. Apparently Eren was feeling forceful and a little enthusiastic tonight because before Levi knew it Eren had pushed him down to the ground and straddled his body, stripping him of his pants and underwear immediately and flinging them away with a grin. Levi cocked an eyebrow at him at being suddenly half naked while Eren was fully dressed on top of him but Eren just smirked and kept going. He ripped open Levi's shirt and guided it off his shoulders and away from his body while Eren's face turned pink at just how very naked Levi was under him and the knowledge that Levi had actually given up control tonight.

Eren went slower, his hands running over Levi's body and just admiring the pale skin and firm muscles. He would lay tiny, feather light kisses all over Levi's chest and hips and into his inner thigh. He could feel Levi breathing deeply and after awhile he sat back and removed his own shirt hearing Levi sigh out into the empty room. His pants and underwear were next and then he was leaning back over Levi and kissing him deeply.

"Can I?" Eren whispered, the nervousness taking over his voice as Levi felt Eren's hand on his ass and running over his entrance. Levi nodded silently having absolutely no issues in letting Eren be in total control and filling him up tonight. Eren smiled but was more nervous, the confidence from before falling away slightly, so Levi moved his hand over to cover Eren's and helped him take that first step in pressing it inside. After that initial contact Levi let go and just rolled with whatever Eren wanted, letting all of the sensations and shivers roll over him and not even bothering to hold back anymore. He knew he had no control when it came to Eren and with each kiss or intruding finger that knowledge just solidified itself within him, although he couldn't really find it in himself to care.

Levi knew when Eren had loosened him up enough because he felt his fingers disappearing and he couldn't help the little huff of impatience he let out. He heard Eren laugh a little and rub a soft hand over his thigh.

"Soon" was all he heard but he felt as Eren repositioned him, with a huff of surprise he felt Eren press a hand into his hip and move him so that he rolled over onto his stomach with his chest pressed against the carpet. A smooth hand ran over his ass while the other ran up to grip his hip and with a slight pressure pulling him up, Levi knew where Eren wanted him. He pulled his legs forward and bent his knees, his arms moved to rest on his elbows and slowly he propped himself up off the floor.

"Fuck..." he heard Eren moan and a smirk of satisfaction appeared on Levi's face. He was on all fours with Eren flush against his legs and ass now, he could feel his own erection hard against his stomach as well as Eren's rubbing slowly against his ass. That smirk didn't last long though before it was replaced with a low, throaty grunt. Eren had apparently lost any restraint he had left as he began to push into Levi suddenly and with a little more force than he should.

"Ughh... Eren... s-slow down" Levi grunted out, his hands in fists against the carpet and his forehead falling to the floor for support.

"Fuck.. sorry" Eren breathed out and instantly pulled back, Levi clenched his eyes shut.

"You can fuck me... just start slow" Levi ground out, his words muffled against the floor. He heard a huff of laughter from Eren but felt his length against him again. This time Eren went slower, he pushed in a little bit at a time allowing Levi to adjust to him and stretch to the intrusion, but he was going to slow now and Levi huffed in frustration at the pace now that he was more comfortable. He thought Eren might pick it up after awhile but he didn't, too afraid that he was going to hurt Levi again but Levi was coming undone... he needed Eren to fuck him hard and he needed it now.

So when Eren pulled out a little ready to thrust in another slow, steady movement Levi took some initiative and pushed himself back quickly, impaling himself on Eren in one short, sharp movement that had them both groaning.

 

"Oi... fuck" Levi cried and pounded his fist onto the ground, hard, while Eren cursed above him. After a moment, he felt movement and Eren lowered his body over Levi's back and whispered into his ear.

"Is that how we're playing this?" he said, his voice full of mischief and Levi swallowed hard, Eren never was one to back down from a challenge. Not really knowing what was about to happen Levi braced himself, Eren still fully inside him and pressed against him. What he didn't expect was Eren's hand on his head to guide it into the floor, once settled he felt both of Eren's arms around him, circling his body and then running down Levi's own arms, where he gripped Levi's wrists and pulled them up from the ground. Levi was now bent over completely his only support coming from his knees and his head and the wayward hope that Eren was going to keep him upright. His arms were twisted behind his back and Eren had shifted his grip to Levi's forearms allowing Levi to hold onto Eren's forearms in return.

Their grip on each other was firm and Levi tried to stifle a groan at the new position but he knew Eren had heard it because after an excruciating wait Eren started to draw back a little, pulling Levi's body with him and lifting his head off the floor. Levi was at Eren's mercy, their bodies still joined and Levi now only resting on his knees, if Eren let go of him he would fall hard into the ground.

With sweat trickling over his chest and Eren's hard length inside him, he started to move. Eren pulled out to the tip making Levi's lower back dip and his shoulder's arch back in one fluid motion and the he rammed back in with force. Levi cried out, he couldn't help it, Eren was finally going harder, he was being surprisingly rough as well which Levi found he actually really liked. Eren drove in again and again while Levi became a panting mess underneath him, he was getting the fuck of a lifetime and enjoying every second. With a sharp cry he couldn't help his release spilling out of him only halfway through but Eren just kept going, drilling into him brutally and Levi felt himself getting semi hard again. Eren was so thick and hard inside him and the pressure was so intense Levi never wanted it to end, happy to just let Eren fuck him into oblivion.

But he heard Eren's breathing getting sharper and with one final thrust Eren shattered deep inside him, let go of Levi's arms and let them collapse to the floor together in a sticky, sweaty mess.

"Fuck..." Levi gasped trying to steady his breathing, "where the fuck... did you learn... that?"

Eren huffed out a laugh, pulled out of Levi and rolled off him."Just something... I've been thinking about" he replied brokenly, very out of breath. Levi was sprawled out on the floor with Eren laid out next to him, they were both breathing heavily but basking in the afterglow of mindblowing sex.

"It was OK then?" Eren asked and Levi heard the worry, "I wasn't too rough?"

"Fuck no" Levi said firmly and rolled onto his side to move closer to Eren and place a filthy kiss on his lips, "we both need a fucking bath though". Eren laughed breathily but they didn't move yet, they simply had no energy to get up.

 

***

 

"You wanted to bring them food as well, huh?" Reiner said as he saw Bertolt approach with two plates of food. Bertolt saw Reiner's two full plates beside him and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, they weren't at dinner and I forgot to actually congratulate them about the baby. They not hungry?" Bert asked as he made his way over to the step Reiner was sitting on.

Reiner laughed a very strained laugh, "I expect they will be later" he said with a smirk that Bertolt didn't understand but then he heard it and... oh, fuck.. they shouldn't be here.

"What the fuck are you still doing here" Bertolt exclaimed actually dropping the plates in favor of grabbing Reiner's hand to pull him away.

"I'm actually putting their dignity over my own mental stability" Reiner informed him.

"What? We need to leave! This is bad... I can't be hearing this" Bertolt said as another low groan made its way to them making them both wince.

"I can't go anywhere... they well, they may have left their door unlocked" Reiner grimaced.

"Oh no... what did you do?" Bertolt groaned as he stared at Reiner in horror.

"Nothing! I went to give them food, I swear I knocked, but there was no answer so I thought I'd try the door... and it was unlocked so then I thought I might just leave it on the table for them" Reiner explained his face going uncharacteristically red.

"God..." Bertolt whispered and Reiner nodded in agreement.

"They were... they were going at it pretty hard and didn't notice me... so I ran but I may have left the door open a little" Reiner confessed guiltily.

"This is really bad" Bertolt muttered.

"I know" Reiner agreed.

"So, what? You're guarding the stairway in the hopes nobody else walks in on them?" Bertolt asked.

"Yeah..." Reiner confirmed and Bertolt actually sat down next to him.

"That's actually really nice of you" Bertolt started but they were interrupted by a loud 'fuck' reverberating down the hall, "maybe if we talk loud enough we can block it out?" Bertolt said hopefully.

"Wait, you're staying?" Reiner asked incredulous.

"Yeah, I can't let you go through this alone" Bertolt said with despair.

"Thanks" Reiner said with a small smile. There was silence for a moment before Reiner let out a snicker.

"You won't guess who was fucking who though" he whispered giving Bertolt an evil smirk.

"No! I don't want to fucking know! Hearing this is already too much information" Bertolt exclaimed making Reiner laugh.

"It looked _really_ hot" Reiner teased and Bertolt blushed red and put his hands over his ears.

"NO.. not listening" he said childishly and then looked back at Reiner in horror, "You can't ever tell anyone". Reiner then dropped the laugh and paled.

"They would kill me" he said seriously and Bertolt nodded in agreement.

"We would never find the body" Bertolt whispered as another noise made its way to them effectively breaking the tension and actually making them both giggle like school girls.

"How the fuck did we get ourselves into this?" Reiner groaned.

"By you not knowing how to close a fucking door" Bertolt said dryly and Reiner looked over at him with a guilty grin, at least they weren't going through it alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo was not expecting to write a full blown sex scene but inspiration hit and I kind of went with it :P I hope it wasn't too OOC and that you enjoyed them switching it out :D
> 
> Next update should be in a few days but please let me know what you guys think :D


	32. Tell The World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughh OK i'm soo sorry it took so long to update but I got a little stuck and my life's kind of hectic at the moment :/ My work just closed down and I moved house and haven't had internet for like two weeks so its been very crazy but yay for new internet and I finally get to post again! :P

"Not a single no" Eren exclaimed as he burst through Levi's office door brandishing a clipboard in hand, "We even sent them out late and didn't have anyone decline".

"You do know it's purely out of insane curiosity" Levi answered dryly, putting his work down and looking up at the now curious face of his young husband.

"What do you mean, like the event or us?" Eren asked as he made his way over to Levi, he pulled out the recently added chair opposite Levi's desk and took his seat, he had found a chair not being used in one of the other offices and decided to relocate it to Levi's so that he would have somewhere to sit when he visited.

"Honestly? All of it" Levi stated simply, "you and I are throwing a relatively mysterious event at short notice not to mention that you're still a pretty unknown person here in Trost who also happens to be a Prince of Maria. Then we have me, who never even attends social events let alone organizing and throwing one".

Eren was nodding in silent agreement but he was smiling, "You're right, we've really only ever made one public appearance together, people will be so curious we'll probably have to post guards outside to stop them from trying to crash".

Levi let a small breath of laughter, "And have someone guarding the gates to stop them from thinking they can climb right on over so they can get the news firsthand" he continued in a teasing lilt while Eren laughed.

"That would be an interesting sight, I think I would actually pay to see someone in full formal attire try and scale that gate" Eren tacked on while he laughed, "so when are we actually going to make this announcement? Early to get it over with or later in the evening to make everyone suffer a little?"

Levi laughed but thought it over, "As much as I would love to make everyone suffer a little it would probably be best to do it early" he said, "we can probably just get someone to notify us when everyone has arrived and do it then".

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea" Eren sighed with a small smile, "plus it means that Historia can leave early if she needs too without making something up".

"How's she been lately? Is the morning sickness still hitting at night?" Levi asked a trace of worry in his voice.

Eren sighed and nodded. "Yeah, right after dinner like clockwork".

"Has she seen Hange yet?" Levi asked, his brow furrowing at the words.

"Yeah, she's been... Hange gave her some home remedies to try so we'll see how it works but you know... you would know all of this if you weren't holed up in your office and missing dinner" Eren teased but Levi noted the worry that laced his voice.

"I'm fine... I just have a lot of work to do with the event and my own paperwork is building up" Levi breathed out, Eren dropped his smile and stood up from his seat. He rounded the desk and moved slowly over to Levi, who shifted his chair to face the brunette. Eren slowly moved in and angled himself to sit down on Levi's lap, his arm wrapped around Levi's shoulder for balance and his foot hovering just off the ground.

"Anything I can do to help? We have a long day tomorrow and I kind of want you to come to bed earlier tonight" Eren said gently, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Levi's cheek.

"Not really... I'm actually almost done here but you know... if you want you can just stay here with me" Levi answered softly making Eren sigh and lean his body into Levi's for a hug. 

"Right here?" Eren teased lightly while pressing up a little more against Levi's body and eliciting a small laugh from him.

"Hmm... as much as I'd like that, I don't think I'll get much work done like this" Levi answered but didn't make any move to shift Eren off him, instead he moved his arms up to encircle Eren's waist and then he dropped his forehead against Eren's chest.

"Hey Levi?" Eren whispered and Levi's only response was a small grunt, "so... I think Historia is starting to show".

Levi instantly perked up, pulling Eren back and meeting his eyes with a hard look, "what? When? Wait, how do you know?" Levi said in a rush and watched a genuine smile tugging at Eren's lips.

"Well, she's, uh, she's not doing the top two buttons up on her skirt any more" Eren answered with hesitation, Levi just raised an eyebrow in obvious disbelief.

"How do you even notice something like that?" He questioned while Eren blushed a little.

"I notice things!" Eren exclaimed but the blush rising to his cheeks and his voice hitching was doing absolutely nothing to convince Levi he wasn't lying.

"Bullshit. I call bullshit" Levi said firmly and watched as the last of Eren's resolve crumble.

"Fine, I'll tell you but you can't say a word... she may have threatened me on pain of death if it got out" Eren confided, shooting Levi a very stern look until he nodded his head in agreement, "So, yesterday when I was coming back from town I may have caught Historia bending down to pick something up off the ground that she'd dropped".

Eren stopped and gave Levi a look to see if he'd understood but Levi just raised an eyebrow, "And..."

Eren sighed, "The buttons on her skirt popped" he finished quickly.

"Oh" was all Levi could say and Eren nodded seriously.

"Yeah, poor thing, the buttons just popped right off and the skirt got loose and then when she saw me she just kind of burst into tears right on the spot" Eren said, "I tried to comfort her but apparently clothing malfunctions are out of my comfort zone, so she just got mad instead and told me never to speak of it again".

"So you're risking life and limb to tell me?" Levi said, his lips turning up in a smirk but Eren just nodded seriously.

"Yeah, she's scary when she's mad... I might actually need you to protect me from her" Eren said but Levi heard the cute little teasing tone in his voice and just laughed at his husband.

"So, she's showing, huh?" Levi commented effectively bringing a grin right back to Eren's face.

"I think so, either that or she had a really big lunch" Eren laughed and then whipped his head over to the door, "Oh god, she can't hear us say stuff like that, we'd be dead before morning".

"Yeah, I think it's definitely best to keep those kind of comments between us... maybe in the safety of our room" Levi said lightly.

"Oh god" Eren groaned and Levi blinked at him, very confused.

"What?" Levi asked.

"We're going to have to come up with a non-creepy way of asking if we can touch her stomach" Eren complained while Levi just sat, kind of stunned.

"That's a thing that people do?" Levi asked slowly.

"Yeah... I mean, don't you want to feel when the baby starts kicking?" Eren asked quietly, he tilted his head to the side and gave Levi such a doe eyed look that Levi was putty in his hands.

"Yeah, no, of course I do. Sorry, just threw me for a minute there... I never considered it" Levi stammered but was rewarded with a huge grin from Eren and a light kiss on the lips. 

"Trust me, you'll want to feel... there's nothing quite as awesome as feeling a baby move" Eren said happily.

"You've felt a baby kick before?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, when I was little I used to hang around at mum's work all the time and well, things happen and I was curious so yeah, I've actually felt a lot of babies kicking" Eren answered with a smile at the memory, "but the first time for you will be with our kid, so that's kind of perfect" Eren finished and Levi smiled up at him.

"Alright, you might be right on this one" Levi conceded, they sat in peaceful silence for a moment before a thought came to Levi that had him cursing softly, "Oi, shit... we've got another problem".

"Huh, what?" Eren asked.

"Does Historia even have anything that will fit for tomorrow night?" Levi asked and watched as realization dawned on Eren as well.

"Well, fuck" Eren swore.

"I'll get a seamstress in early tomorrow, if she can't make a new dress maybe she can alter one" Levi sighed while Eren ran his finger through the raven's hair.

"Do you have to go back to work?" he asked quietly and Levi sighed but nodded, Eren grumbled in response but moved off Levi's lap and returned to his seat, trying unsuccessfully to curl up in it.

Eren's conversation started of sporadic at best while Levi finished his work but as the hour got later and Levi still hadn't finished Eren's voice tapered off. When Levi had finally signed the last document necessary, he dropped his pen with a sigh and started stretching out his cramped arm and looked over.

Eren had somehow managed to curl up on his chair and fall asleep, Levi remembered when Eren had 'relocated' the chair a few months ago from an empty office space proclaiming that it was now his and belonged in Levi's office. Tonight he had lifted both legs over the armrest to dangle inches above the floor, his arms were curled around his stomach as his body sat sideways with his cheek lying against the back cushion of the chair. Levi could only smile softly at the sight always happy to see Eren at peace. He sat for a moment and watched Eren sleep, his breath coming in deep and even and his eyelids fluttering ever now and then before he stood up slowly and stretched out the rest of his body.

He rounded the desk and although he hated to do it he knelt by Eren's chair and whispered, "Eren... Eren". He only got a grumble in answer before Levi had to raise his hand and shake Eren gently.

"Shh... 'm sleeping" Eren mumbled and tried to swat Levi's hand away, Levi just chuckled and made to shake him a little harder. When that didn't work he went to plan B, he leaned in closer and pressed his lips to Eren's in a kiss while combing his fingers through the brunettes hair. This method seemed to work a lot better as he got a sleepy sigh in reply as well as Eren's hand moving up to his chest to grasp his shirt.

Levi pulled back for a moment and whispered, "Eren, time for bed".

Eren's eyes blinked open and he whispered back, "You finished?"

"Yeah, I'm finished... we can go to bed now" Levi answered gently, Eren moved stiffly, slowly unwinding his legs and dropping them to the floor and sitting up.

"Didn't mean to fall asleep... sorry" Eren murmured but Levi just held out a hand to help him to his feet.

"No, its OK... thanks for staying with me" Levi replied and wound his arm around Eren's waist to help steady his still half asleep husband. They made their way out of the office and down the hallway until they finally got to their room, Levi opened the door and led Eren inside. Eren was almost completely asleep again as Levi helped him fall onto their bed, he made the effort to pull off Eren's shoes and socks and then unbutton his pants and pull them away too, leaving Eren in his underwear and soft shirt for bed. Levi left him passed out on the bed until he changed and climbed in next to him then he pulled the covers down, shifted Eren under them and pulled him close. He heard Eren let out a contented little sigh as they fell asleep and Levi just hoped they got to lie in the next morning as they were going to have a long day.

 

***

 

Lying in didn't happen, instead Eren and Levi were barraged the entire day with problems and questions and tasks to do in order to make the event go smoothly. They had dressed in a rush, climbed in a carriage and gone over hours early to oversee everything and make final decisions. Finally, the time was right and guests started making their way inside, Levi and Eren stood close to the door so they could greet everyone as they entered and endure the small talk and obvious curiosity surrounding the night. Eren was shaking slightly with nerves and at all times Levi had a hand on him to try and steady him, whether it was his hand on the small of Eren's back or grasped in the brunette's Levi didn't care as long as he could calm him a little.

All of their guests had arrived right on time and there was a steady stream of people coming through the door, they had to keep conversations short in order to speak to everyone and even then they were sure they had missed someone. They had everyone asking them subtle questions and every time they had to just smile and say that everything would be clear soon enough. The only problem came when Historia arrived with the recruits but before she could even say hello to them she was running straight for the bathroom, a hand to her mouth and Sasha on her heels. Eren just gave Levi a worried look but there was nothing they could do as more people converged on them and wouldn't let them budge from their spot. 

They saw Historia emerge 15 minutes later, a little pale but she was smiling and speaking softly to Sasha. They had managed to get a seamstress in to alter a dress for her in time and she was now wearing a light blue chiffon gown with an empire waist to hide any signs she might be pregnant, not that anyone but Levi, Eren and herself would really be able tell anyway. Eren waved at her and she smiled back and nodded as a sign that she was OK while she pointed subtly to her stomach to let Eren know it was entirely the baby's fault.

All of their guests were the same as the military ball with the exception of the recruits and the common people from the towns, Eren was able to recognize a lot of people and even continue conversations from their last meetings. Levi stood beside his husband and let him control the conversations, he was so charming and pleasant to everyone despite the fact that Levi could practically feel the nerves jumping off him in waves. Levi was the one to notice when the guard gave them the signal that everyone had arrived, he nudged Eren slightly and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Everyone's here, it's time to get this over with".

Eren nodded but took in a deep steadying breath, he excused himself from the lady they had been speaking to and together they made their way over to the raised stage at the front of the room. Everyone watched as they made their way through and nobody even tried to stop them, they all apparently knew where the two were headed and that they'd find out soon enough the reason behind their invitations. Eren stopped in the centre and Levi stood next to him, they didn't hold hands or have any contact but the mere presence of the other was enough for Eren to start speaking.

"Good evening everyone, Captain Levi and I want to thank all of you so much for taking the time and effort to join us here tonight" Eren said, his voice was surprisingly loud and ringing, it managed to reach the back corners of the room and fill up the spaces. He was smiling but his fingers were pulling at the sleeve of his shirt distractedly and every time he paused for breath he bit his lip. Levi was standing up straight next to him watching his movements to make sure he was going to be OK, Eren had never really spoken in front of a large crowd before but so far he seemed to be doing fine. 

"I'm sure you're all very curious as to why we invited you here tonight and I promise we will tell you in a few moments, but first I just wanted to say a few words" Eren said and glanced over at Levi who nodded slightly before Eren continued speaking, "I don't know whether any of you know but my mother was born and raised in Trost, she was a lady of high society before she met my father and moved to be with him in Maria".

There were low mutterings from the crowd but Eren ignored them and kept going, "After she moved to Maria I'm fairly certain her actions and her life was forgotten to everyone here in Trost until the news came of her death" Eren paused and took in a steadying breath, "which is understandable, the relationship between our two countries has always been shaky at best, but tonight I want to tell you a little about her life after she left here". He held the attention of everyone, whether they were curious as to the direction Eren's speech was heading or actually interested in what he had to say, he couldn't tell but he kept talking anyway.

"Everyone that knew her said that she was kind and caring and was always trying to help others and it's true, she was exactly the type of person that everyone thought she was. She was so incredibly loved by everyone that she met, I'm fairly certain that I could talk to you all night about her and how much my family and everyone else in Maria adored her but instead I want to tell you about her work and her legacy. She had the idea before I was even alive, I'm sure she had the idea long before she even met my father but it says so much about who she was that she was able to see her idea come to life and became such an integral part of Marian society in such a small amount of time. Her idea was simple: she wanted to help people have the family they had always wanted and help young women who had no-one else to turn too, this idea came to life when she created her surrogacy agency". Every eye was on him, flicking every now and then to Levi with curiosity but going back to him instantly. 

"Her agency, while a little shaky to begin with, became an amazing success and allowed so many people to have the family they always wanted, it also helped young women to get a second chance and start over somewhere new. After she died the people who worked with her kept her ideas alive and strong by continuing to do the work that she would have done. Her surrogacy agency is still going strong in Maria and has become a staple in the lives of everyone there by making things better and giving back to the people".

Eren took in another breath before he continued, this was it, if everyone here hated his idea it would most likely die before it even began.

"Now, the first thing that I came here tonight to announce is my desire to continue my mother's work right here in Trost" Eren said, there were low murmurs in the room that soon turned into surprised whispers. Eren just turned to Levi, took a steady breath and waited for everyone to quiet down a little and process his news before he tried to go on.

"What I'm proposing..." Eren started and instantly the room went quiet at the sound of his voice, eyes snapped back to the front of the room and focused on him again, "what I'm proposing won't happen quickly, I have a building and I have a plan that I want to see through but if I'm to succeed I'll need you're help. It won't be easy but I'm willing to put the effort in to make it a success and give families in Trost the same opportunities that I have known in Maria. I know that all of you have questions that you're burning to ask me and I'm sure you all have some preconceived ideas about this and how it will even work in Trost but I'm here to answer any questions you have. Also, Captain Levi and Dr Hange Zoe can answer questions as well which I'm sure will ease any doubts you have".

The room burst into a buzz of energy and loud voices but before they could get too carried away, Eren called out loudly, "My plan to create a surrogacy agency here in Trost was only the first reason that we invited you here tonight..."

Everyone instantly snapped their attention back to Eren awaiting the news but their eyes were flicking over to Levi constantly, Levi didn't know why but he couldn't help stepping in a little closer to Eren. They didn't hold hands or embrace the other, instead only standing close enough to lend the other their support in this moment. Levi's face hadn't changed but stayed stoic and bored under the heavy stares of the crowd, although Eren could see his fingers twitching slightly at his side, it was the only sign of nervousness he let out.

Levi was the one to finally speak and break the moment of silence in the room, his voice carried out over the room but it didn't need to, he could have whispered and the entire room would have heard, "The second reason we invited you here tonight was to make an announcement. With the aid of Eren's mother's surrogacy agency, we want to announce that in about six months time Eren and I will be welcoming a child into our family". 

Before anyone could even say a word or move a single muscle Eren picked up where Levi left off, "We want you all to know that we are very excited about this next step in our life and we hope that it will help to bridge the gap between our two Kingdoms and bring us closer together". There was complete dumbfounded silence as Eren looked over to Levi and together they drew in a breath before the room exploded in a cacophony of voices. They only had a short moment alone before people started to converge on them.

"Brace yourself" Levi leaned in and whispered to Eren and momentarily grabbed up his hand to squeeze before he let go and they got separated by the crowd. 

They were thrown into a barrage of questions, most of it was initially about the baby and eventually Historia was nudged over to them when questions about her started up. She was quiet and calm through the interrogations and answered any question thrown at her with ease, Eren and Levi were astounded at the level of grace she had under pressure. Once the curiosity about Historia wore off and the most forward of guests had their questions answered, Levi and Eren were able to take a breath and continue the evening at a slower pace. They were still constantly approached and some questions got a little more intimate as the wine and champagne flowed but Eren was actually enjoying the rush. He was finally able to tell people about his plans and the amount of passion and enthusiasm he used to talk about his ideas seemed to be sweeping people up with him.

He had most of the ladies on his side not even half way through the night by talking about all of the amazing stories and families his mother had had a hand in making, Levi listened as Eren carried the conversations and drew people in with ease in a way that shouldn't really be possible. Some of the men were harder to convince, they kept bringing up questions about the suitability of the women who would carry the children but Eren answered them honestly, telling them about all of the policies and procedures they would have in place to ensure no harm would come to the children or the women in the process.

Historia was a calming effect on everyone, she was so frank and honest about her life and situation that it eased people into the idea. She never called the baby hers but only ever referred to it as Eren's and Levi's child, she was open about how she was treated right from the start and wasn't afraid to share her reasons and feelings behind being a part of it. Levi and Eren were both congratulated over and over again on the news of their child, even though the process was strange and unfamiliar to them it didn't seem to deter people from being happy for them and the fact that Historia was present and not being kept hidden away went a long way for all of them.

They had very few problems to begin with, there were a few people that had left the hall with furious expressions and angry comments but there was nothing Levi and Eren could do to change their minds. They knew it was simply an effect of bringing a part of Marian culture right into the centre of Trost and that only time and a positive outcome could change their minds, maybe not even then.

It was exhausting and by the time they had made their way around to everyone it was getting late, Eren had already stifled a few yawns but he looked happier and more relaxed than when they had arrived and being the hosts they would stay until the end. Historia approached them not long after with a tired smile.

"Would it be alright if I head back? I'm exhausted" she said softly.

"Of course, just be sure to take some soldiers with you" Levi answered and Historia smiled at him in thanks.

"Sasha and Connie ate too much so they're ready to leave" Historia said but Levi shook his head slowly and glanced around the room before making a gesture to someone. Before long Petra and Eld were next to them and Levi was speaking to them directly.

"Historia is heading back, I need you two to accompany her and make sure she arrives safely" Levi said firmly while staring at them intensely, they only nodded and saluted him although Eren noticed a little smirk playing at Petra's lips. Historia sighed but smiled and waved a goodbye to both of them as she left the hall flanked by Petra and Eld, Sasha, Connie and surprisingly Ymir following behind them to take another carriage back to base.

All of their guests filtered out slowly after that and it was incredibly late by the time it was just Levi, Eren and the service staff left in the hall. They both slumped as they heard the last carriage take off and let out huge sighs of relief that the evening was finally over, it hadn't been nearly as bad as expected and both the pregnancy and the surrogacy agency had been received pretty well by most people. 

"You know what?" Levi asked as they stood by the wall, Eren just raised his eyebrow in answer, "I never got a dance with you tonight" Levi finished and watched as Eren's lips turned up in a surprised but happy smile.

"That's very true" Eren agreed softly and took Levi's hand, "I guess we'll just have to make up for it next time".

"Or" Levi started with a smile, "we could dance now?"

Eren blinked but let out a soft laugh, "but there's no music" he said with a grin, Levi just shrugged and pulled him out onto the dance floor pulling their bodies together. He wound his arms around Eren and Eren did the same to him and slowly they just swayed on the spot, not really dancing but just being close.

"Tonight was a good night" Eren whispered and Levi grunted his agreement, "I'm glad it's over though" he finished and Levi snorted.

"No going back now" Levi said but it only made Eren laugh.

"I think there was no going back as soon as we agreed to this whole thing" Eren commented and Levi had to agree. After a moment Eren asked quietly, "do you regret it?"

Levi made sure to look at Eren hard, "Never, Eren. I have you and we will have a kid plus I don't tend to have regrets... and this choice? This choice would never be a regret". Eren leaned down slightly and kissed Levi softly on the lips before they returned to silence and swaying.

 

***

 

They had made their way over to the last carriage and driver and piled inside before the driver took off and they were finally making their way back home. They had been trundling down a bumpy road for about 10 minutes before Levi spoke.

"Thank fuck we're heading home" Levi groaned and leaned back in his seat, Eren sighed and dropped his head onto Levi's shoulder, tiredness washed over him and he closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Ugh... I'll be very happy not to do that for awhile" Eren sighed, "I vote that if we ever have another kid we go with a different plan".

"Agreed" Levi said and wrapped his arm around Eren's shoulder, pulling him closer to his side and rubbing comforting circles on his arm.

"It's over now, though" Eren murmured, "we can just relax and enjoy the next six months before our lives change drastically".

Levi let out a soft snort of laughter, "we can start doing things now, though. We can buy clothes and paint the nursery".

"Oh yeah" Eren said with a sleepy smile, "now that it's not a secret we can do whatever we want and get everything ready".

"Hmm... we should start on the nursery first" Levi said softly and felt Eren nod against his shoulder.

"I like that idea... maybe we-" but Eren was interrupted by a sharp jolt to the carriage making them both jerk in their seats and sit up straight. Levi pulled Eren instinctively closer to his body and clenched his fist tightly into Eren's jacket.

"What was that?" Eren whispered his voice shaking, Levi shook his head and motioned for Eren to stay silent. There was no noise from outside but the carriage wasn't moving either, Eren was trembling but trying to stay calm while hoping that they'd just broken down.

"Eren" Levi whispered and turned to face him, "I need you down on the floor and I need you to be quiet... not a word". Eren started to shake for real but shook his head and grasped at Levi's sleeve.

"I need to see what's going on... I promised to protect you and I will follow through on that" Levi said his voice quiet and intense and his hands grasping Eren's tightly, "if something is happening out there then I need to know but I promise I'll be back and I will get you to safety". Eren could only shake and watch as Levi pulled his hands away, nudged Eren onto the floor of the carriage and then went to open the door.

His hand was hovering over the handle when they heard their driver scream.


	33. Never Say Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the last cliffhanger guys but it really was too tempting to pass up :P Enjoy the new chapter :D

The driver screamed and Eren flattened himself against the other side of the carriage while grabbing Levi's hand and hauling him with him. There were clashes and a loud thunk from outside while Levi and Eren stayed motionless and silent on the inside. 

"Levi... what's happening?" Eren whispered after a moment, his voice was shaking and he was squeezing Levi's hand really hard and hiding up against his side. Levi rubbed his hand in comfort and braced himself to get up and go for the door again.

"Eren, you're going to stay quiet and you're going stay on the floor" Levi said firmly but in a low, pleading voice, Eren shook his head in panic but Levi just leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Stay down... I'll keep you safe" Levi promised and with a final squeeze of Eren's hand he crouched on his feet and then carefully made his way to the door, pulling his hand away from Eren's. Without looking back Levi pulled on the handle and stepped out silently, he closed the door soundly behind him, keeping Eren safe inside.

There was silence for all of two minutes before Eren heard noises, it was all loud thumping and muffled grunts which Eren couldn't understand or differentiate between his husband and their attackers. He knew for certain now that they were being attacked as Levi hadn't returned instantly and well, the noises were pretty damning.

Eren's heart was pounding against his chest, he had no idea who was out there or how many were out there, he didn't know if Levi was OK or if their driver was even alive. He was going out of his mind with worry and panic and the banging against the carriage wasn't helping in the slightest. After only a few minutes Eren couldn't take it anymore, he had to see what was going on and he had to check on Levi. Slowly Eren rose to his trembling knees and made his way over to the same door Levi had gone through only minutes before, with his heart pounding and his hands shaking he slowly pulled the door open and stepped down trying to keep himself hidden.

The sight that met Eren's eyes held him frozen to the spot, it was pure chaos and darkness in the space outside the carriage. He eyes scanned the area desperately and found Levi first but he almost wished he hadn't, Levi was single-handedly fighting three big, burly men with nothing more than his body. But even without his blades or 3DM gear he was a force to be reckoned with, Eren just stared in awe as Levi fought them becoming a blur of movement and ferocity. He was striking blows faster than the three of them could react, in fact, they could barely lay a hand on Levi at all.

Knowing that Levi was alive, Eren took that moment to look around and see what else was going on, he couldn't follow through on Levi's orders to stay inside the carriage but maybe he could help... somehow. The rest of the scene may have been worse than Levi's three on one battle- there was another man slumped against a tree with a dagger buried in his chest, his eyes still open but his body not moving while the driver lay face down in the mud, still and silent.

Eren swallowed nervously.

This was way too much for him too handle, there was too much going on and sooner or later one of those three men were going to land a blow on Levi and he would be useless to help.

Eren backed up as close to the carriage as possible, trying to stay hidden and out of sight in the darkness, and just trying to keep breathing steady. He didn't want to distract Levi from his fight but the completely scared part of him just didn't want to be noticed at all. He wanted the attackers gone and he wanted to be home in his bed with his husband. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon and maybe not at all if Eren didn't at least try and help to get them out of there.

He focused back on Levi, seeing whether there was anything he could do to help him but Levi was holding his own against the three men. Well, now it was just two. With a sickening thunk the hilt of a stolen dagger came up and slammed into the man's temple, Levi had gotten hold of one of their daggers and had effectively hit him in a soft spot making the man crumple to the ground, motionless.

Eren watched and as Levi moved he got carried away by how graceful and agile Levi was. He moved so fluently and easily that it looked as if he shouldn't even be tethered to their world, he didn't seem human at the moment. He was fighting both men cleanly and Eren watched as Levi got the upper hand and with a smooth fluid movement stabbed one of them in the chest, without even looking back to see the results he faced off with the last man, that was when Eren heard movement to his left.

He turned quickly but it wasn't fast enough, a sweaty hand went over his mouth and another heavy arm went around his neck and pressed into his throat hard.

It was too much.

Eren couldn't breathe.

He couldn't make any noise.

He could only scrabble desperately against the man holding him and whimper as his eyes faded to black and he passed out.

 

***

 

Eren woke up sharply, his eyes adjusting and his throat on fire. His head was pounding but he had no time to focus on that as he felt a sharp blade at his throat. There was a man behind him, one hand still covering his mouth but the other had changed to hold a cool blade against his neck, it wasn't touching him yet but it was close enough that if Eren tried to swallow he would feel it. Eren was on his knees and as he found consciousness his eyes immediately went to Levi to see if he were OK. Not much time must have passed as Levi was still squaring off with the last man standing, Eren tried not to make a noise, he didn't want to distract Levi and get him hurt but the man holding him had another idea.

After he noticed Eren was conscious and weak he hauled him to his feet and with his chest pressed against Eren's back he let his hand fall away from Eren's mouth and slowly pressed the knife in a little harder. Eren felt the sharp edge dig into his skin and couldn't help the shocked gasp from escaping.

It had the exact effect Eren's attacker had been hoping for- Levi got distracted. His eyes glanced away from his opponent and over to Eren, they widened in shock and terror at the sight of Eren held at knife point but Eren was focused on Levi's attacker. And when he swung his fist to try and make contact with Levi, Eren shouted incoherently and Levi swung back to defend himself. Levi stopped the punch from making contact but the dagger in his attacker's other hand he was helpless against.

The man's fist made contact with Levi's defense but as Levi tried to fight back the guy's other hand pressed in swiftly and slammed the blade of his dagger right into Levi's unguarded thigh. Eren screamed desperately but Levi kept going. With a dagger embedded in his thigh and murder in his eyes, Levi threw a hard punch to the man's jaw and knocked him backwards. Before he could regain his balance Levi had moved in and faster than Eren could process the man was on the ground unconscious and bleeding.

Eren had no idea what had happened but Levi was still standing. He didn't even seem phased by the dagger sticking out of his leg, he just shifted his focus to Eren and stepped forward. He raised both hands to show he wasn't holding anything and made careful movements in Eren's direction.

"Put the knife down and back away from my husband", when he finally spoke it was more of an animal growl, Levi was pissed and all of his anger was directed at the man holding onto Eren.

"Can't do that" the man snapped but his voice shook slightly and his grip on Eren tightened... he was scared, "take one more step and I kill him". He dug the blade into his throat a little deeper and with a hiss of pain Eren felt blood trickle down his neck from the cut.

"Put the knife down and let him go" Levi growled, still taking slow steps forward, "you're outmatched and alone... let him go or I will kill you". The knife cut in deeper and Eren had to struggle against the pain, his throat was on fire but he couldn't make a sound unless it did more harm than good.

"Stop moving! I'll kill him... I'll do it" the guy threatened but he had lost control of his voice and it shook more than before, Levi took full advantage of that by continuing to step in closer. He was now less than a meter away.

Levi's eyes locked on Eren's and somehow Eren understood what to do, he had total faith in Levi. The guy holding Eren had crossed over into panic and Eren knew he had only a small window of time before the man freaked out and killed him without thinking. Levi was going to get him out of this... he would.

Eren drew in what breath he could, closed his eyes briefly before he looked up and saw Levi nod sharply and move in. Eren braced himself, pulling both arms up fast and shoving away from the man with all of his strength. He felt the blade cut in a little deeper but it didn't matter the guy had let go for a second in shock. Eren wouldn't have gotten far except that Levi was moving in.

In the time it took for Eren to pull himself away and step back Levi was right there, he swung a fist but their attacker had recovered from Eren's shove too quickly and pulled another knife on Levi... but not quite before Levi had pulled his own.

His own dagger which he had swiftly pulled out of his leg and slammed to the hilt into the man's chest.

Eren stumbled at the sudden hit, his feet tripping over each other until he fell backwards into the dirt. He stared in silence as his attacker paled, struggled to pull out the dagger and eventually fell to the ground face first, the sickening crunch as the dagger dug in deeper into the man's chest. Eren felt sick, nausea rising to the back of his throat and panic flooding his body.

He wasn't here. This wasn't happening. Levi hadn't just killed men right in front of him. No, no, no, no. Breathe, Eren pleaded with his brain as his air supply cut off, please breathe!

"Eren..." it was Levi's voice that shorted out his internal panic and had Eren snapping his head around and focusing on the raven. Levi was pale, no, he was almost translucent in the moonlight, there was blood pouring out of the wound in his leg and bruises starting to appear on his face that Eren hadn't noticed before. The sight of his husband this wrecked made something snap into action inside of Eren. He shoved all of his panic and fear and nausea aside to instead focus on Levi... to help Levi.

Levi was looking around seriously, making sure no one was moving... that they were a solid distance away from any of the bodies before he limped over and fell down onto his knees in front of Eren. His hand rose and swept down Eren's cheek gently, his thumb wiping at the blood still dripping down his neck and his eyes locked onto Eren's.

"You OK?" Levi whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion and exhaustion. Eren nodded slowly and Levi leaned in, with his hand still cupping Eren's cheek he let his head fall forward and pressed his forehead against Eren's. Eren let his own forehead fall to meet Levi's and moved his hands up to grip at Levi's forearms desperately. He heard Levi let out a sigh of relief before he went limp in Eren's arms.

"Levi? Levi!" Eren panicked. He wrapped his arms tightly around Levi's waist and let all of his weight fall onto him. Levi was still breathing but he wasn't moving and then Eren's hand found Levi's thigh. It was bleeding too much. Levi had lost too much blood and exerted himself too much- Eren had to get him back to base as fast as possible. Eren shifted Levi so that he was lying on the ground and his leg was stretched out in front of Eren. He pulled his coat off and then his cravat and went to work trying to staunch the bleeding.

It wasn't pretty. It would have been better if Levi had just left had just left the knife in. Eren couldn't tell whether this much blood was normal or whether an artery had been hit and Levi was in much more danger than Eren thought. Eren wrapped the cravat around first trying to cut off some of the blood supply- he knew it was dangerous but it was better that then Levi bleeding out before they got help. Then he ripped part of his coat off and wrapped that around it as well to help soak up and stop the bleeding- Eren waited a minute to see whether it helped any. Blood did soak through but it seemed a little slower than before so Eren took that as a good sign and started to think of what the fuck he was meant to do next.

He had to get out of there, if Levi hadn't killed all of them they could wake up at any moment and attack and with Levi out of commission and Eren's own fighting ability minimal at best they would both be screwed. Not to mention he had to get Levi up and to a doctor as fast as he could, he didn't know what would happen if he didn't. With a shaky breath Eren tried to forget all of his worries and panic and focus entirely on Levi, he moved forward and helped Levi to sit up and hold him there. With difficulty and a lot of effort he managed to get Levi situated behind him, with his arms hanging loosely around Eren's neck and his body slumped against Eren's back. 

Eren took in a deep breath and move quickly, with an awkward stumble and heave of effort, Eren had Levi on his back with his hands firmly on the raven's legs and Levi's head fallen limply on his shoulder. Eren regained his balance and with a little maneuvering he felt OK to take a step forward knowing Levi was safely seated on his back. The only problem was that Eren could feel the wetness of blood as it ran through the makeshift bandages and started to spread under Eren's own shirt. There was nothing he could do about it now though- to put Levi down and try and pick him up again would most likely just aggravate the wound more plus it would just waste time- so Eren took a step forward and started walking.

Walking wasn't easy, they had only been in the carriage 10 minutes when it had been attacked so there was still a good few hours of steady walking time until they reached the base but with Levi being carried and weighing Eren down, and Eren himself being exhausted it was going to be a long, slow trudge home. After Eren started to get into a rhythm of inhale, step, exhale, step, did his thoughts start to go into overdrive.

Seeing their attackers still left him clueless on who they were or why they attacked them, he was walking in darkness not even sure if there were more people ready to jump them down the road. And then scarier thoughts started to surface. What if they weren't the only ones attacked? What if Historia had been hurt or killed? What if he was going to walk down a road and find carriage after carriage destroyed and his friend's pale, lifeless bodies in front of him.

'No, no!' he thought, he had to get a hold on himself. There was no way he was going to get them back to base in this state, so with a deep breathe he tried put all his worries aside and just thought inhale, step, exhale, step. Levi was getting heavier the longer Eren carried him but he was too scared to put him down and stop, he just had to keep walking and hope that Levi decided to wake up soon so he could tell Eren himself he would be OK- the silence was surrounding him and getting to be too much.

 

***

  

It was a solid 30 minutes of walking before Eren felt Levi shift. Levi's head moved against his shoulder, his body against Eren's back and his arm's instinctively gripped Eren's chest.

"Levi? Levi! Please wake up" Eren called out softly, he wanted Levi to hear him but he didn't want to draw any extra attention to them in case they weren't alone on the road. Levi shifted again and Eren heard him let out a low groan of pain as he tried to moved his leg.

"Eren..." Levi muttered his voice a mix of confused pain and panic and still half out of it.

"I'm here, Levi" Eren replied and actually smiled a little, Levi was awake and talking, that had to be a good sign.

"Eren... Eren?" Levi repeated but his voice was getting a little sharper and Eren knew he was coming around.

"Right here, Levi" Eren answered, his voice made a shiver go through Levi's body and it focused him, waking him up and putting him on instant alert.

"Eren?! You OK?" Levi asked his voice rising with panic and fear of the unknown.

"I'm fine... I'm good" Eren answered softly and used one of his hands holding Levi's uninjured thigh to rub a circle into his skin to reinforce his words, "but you've lost a lot of blood and it's still a long way back to base". Eren tried to sound factual like he was simply filling Levi in on details but he couldn't keep the strain and fear out of his voice. He heard Levi let out a sigh and then felt as he shifted a little more.

"Alright, I'm good... you can put me down... I can walk" Levi said but his voice was shaking and he had to stop to pull in a breath to continue talking.

"No, you can't" Eren answered and gripped Levi tighter so as to not let him try and get down.

"Eren, put me down" Levi tried to growl but it was relatively weak, Eren rolled his eyes. 

"No" he answered firmly.

"I can walk... put me down" Levi snapped and Eren stopped. 

"Fine" Eren snapped back, "but you can't walk on that leg". Eren slowly let go of Levi and let hims slide down his back until his feet hit the ground. Levi still had a hold around Eren's neck but as his feet met the ground he slowly unwound his hands and put his entire weight on his legs.

And crumbled completely, his legs folding down towards the ground.

Eren caught him instantly before he moved very far.

"Fuck" Levi cursed.

"See?" Eren said sternly with his arms tightly holding Levi upright.

"Fine" Levi sighed and Eren turned and helped Levi back up so he could keep walking. Eren's breathing got more strained as they kept walking, Levi tried his best to help but there wasn't much he could do except talk to Eren and keep their minds off what was going on.

After a few minutes Eren couldn't help but blurt out what was on his mind, "Levi, what happened?"

"I don't know" Levi sighed in frustration, "we haven't had anything come through about an attack or I never would have let you leave the base... I have no idea what happened".

"I think... did they sound Marian to you?" Eren whispered and waited nervously for Levi to answer, Levi drew in a long breath before he spoke.

"Yeah, I think they did" he confirmed, "plus they didn't have any military training from Trost, from the plan and their fighting style they weren't from Trost but I think they were hired thugs".

"From Maria..." Eren finished and felt Levi nod against his neck.

"We can... we can talk about this... back at base" Levi stammered and Eren stopped in his tracks, Levi wasn't sounding good anymore.

"I think we need to stop for a few minutes" Eren said firmly but felt Levi shake his head.

"I'm fine, we just need to get home" he muttered but couldn't disguise the pain lacing his voice.

"No, we're stopping. I need a break and I need to check on your leg" Eren said gently and before Levi could say a word to stop him Eren had walked off the road and found a spot behind a huge tree. He helped Levi down carefully and with all of his weight on the one leg Levi stumbled a little before Eren helped him sit down with his bad leg stretched out and his back against the tree. Eren knelt by his thigh and studied the wound with care, the fabric had been soaked through and was now stained red, Eren glanced up at Levi having no clue what to do next.

"You can take the bandage off... I need to see if it's still bleeding" Levi instructed him and Eren nodded and went to work unknotting the bandages and pulling them away. As soon the the bandage was pulled free the wound started to bleed a little and Levi was hissing with pain.

"Fuck" he groaned as the blood supply recirculated and started slowly pulsing around the wound, his head fell back against the tree and his hands were in fists by his side.

"It's still bleeding a little" Eren whispered in a panic, it had been almost an hour since the initial injury and it really should have stopped bleeding or at least slowed down a lot by now.

"Yeah, it's a deep fucking stab wound" Levi grunted as he tried to inhale through gritted teeth, "just bandage it again tightly with clean fabric and then we need to keep going". Eren nodded his understanding, following Levi's unsaid words, they needed to be back at base or Levi was going to be in serious trouble. Levi gave Eren his own coat and cravat and Eren redid the bandage, he was a lot slower and more careful this time as everytime he moved to do something Levi would flinch or hiss involuntarily.

After 10 minutes Levi had been fixed up as best as they could and Eren was helping him to his feet to start carrying him again, Eren's shoulders and back were screaming in protest but he ignored them and just bent down a little so Levi could get on, but not before he could put up a protest.

"Look, I don't need to be carried" Levi grumbled as he stood but Eren just faced him and stared him down.

"Levi, I love you, but if we are going to get back to base before morning with you still alive I need to carry you" Eren said firmly and leaving no room for Levi to argue, Levi did glare back at him but Eren just continued in a soft whisper, "I don't want to lose you so please, just let me carry you home". Levi sighed but gave in and let Eren carry him on his back.

They were walking a little slower now but Eren tried to keep conversation going and keep Levi talking with him but after 15 minutes Levi's words started to slur and come a lot slower than before. Eren knew Levi was exhausted, that he was hurt and in serious pain but he couldn't let Levi sleep, just in case that sleep turned to unconsciousness and Levi never woke up. Eren had no idea how bad his injury was and he didn't want to find out just yet.

He kept trying to get Levi to answer him but he wouldn't and before Eren could do anything to stop it, Levi's head had fallen back onto his shoulder and he was out. Eren walked faster, his thoughts full of panic at their situation, at the pace he was going it would still be a few hours before he made it home and a small part of his mind started to tell him Levi wasn't going to make it another few hours.

That was when Eren started to hear hoofbeats. But they didn't come from the direction he was walking towards in the form of a rescue, no, they were coming from behind in the direction of their attackers. Eren freaked out and turned trying to figure out the best direction to get off the road but there was nothing but clear, open ground and the sounds were coming closer much faster than he thought, he froze in place, panic settling it's way through his whole body. He needed to get off the road, he needed to get Levi safe, but he couldn't move from his spot.

The horse thundered closer and he felt a little relief coarse through him when he heard it was just the one horse and at that speed it meant only one rider but still, one rider was too many. He grabbed Levi close and tried to shield him from what was coming, he put his body in between Levi and the oncoming horse and prepared himself for what was about to happen. He wouldn't let Levi go, he would get away no matter what.

The horse came bolting into view and immediately saw Eren standing in the middle of the road and pulled up short, the horse making huffing noises at the effort. The person was in a deep, navy coloured hood which covered their face and obscured their body but somehow Eren felt recognition flare through his body. He didn't know how but he knew this person and his body relaxed instinctively in their presence. He looked up as they moved their horse around, dropped the reins and then pulled back their hood.

He blinked in complete and utter shock at the sight of her. How? It wasn't possible... maybe he was hallucinating.

But no, she jumped off her horse and ran for him instantly, enveloping him in a hug and almost crushing him with her embrace. 

She was here. She was real. And Eren was finally saved.

"You're OK" she whispered.

"You're here" Eren murmured his voice so beyond shock.

"I'm here" she said, "I'm here and I'm taking you home".

Eren nodded slowly and leaned in to her embrace again, forgetting reality because if this were a dream he preferred it here. She smelled the same, just like home and family.

"I missed you so much, Mikasa" Eren whispered and finally let the exhaustion and emotion roll over him as Mikasa took over.

 


	34. Hear You Me

"He needs help" Eren said quickly, he pulled away from Mikasa and instantly started panicking over Levi.

"Oh god, what happened?" Mikasa said, finally noticing Levi and moving quickly to help Eren lay him down on the ground so she could check him over.

"We were attacked, he got stabbed in the leg... he's barely been conscious- Mika, please help him" Eren said, he was freaking out and tenderly running a hand through Levi's hair.  Mikasa paused to watch them for a second with a soft but curious look on her face and then moved into action, she jumped up and retrieved a medical kit from her saddlebags and then knelt down by Levi's legs skimming her hands over the wound.

"It's not good, Eren" Mikasa whispered as she undid the bandages and threw them aside. Eren looked away not able to watch what Mikasa was doing and instead focused on carding his fingers through Levi's hair and holding his hand tightly in his own. All Eren could do was mutter words of comfort to Levi and try and rouse him from his unconsciousness.

Mikasa worked for a solid ten minutes and then pulled back with a sigh, "I'm sorry, it's all I can do for the moment... I don't know whether I did anything to make him better but the bleeding stopped... it's the damage that's already done that I'm worried about".

Eren glanced at Mikasa's pale face and guessed the rest of what she wasn't telling him- it might already be too late.

"Hange... I need to get him to Hange" Eren muttered and saw Mikasa nod shortly, together they helped Levi to sit up and with their arms wrapped around his body they brought him to his feet and pulled him up on Mikasa's horse. He slumped over in the saddle but Eren was already holding onto him tightly so he didn't fall off.

"I've got him, you get up behind and hold him secure" Mikasa ordered and helped give Eren a leg up onto the horse while also holding Levi steady. Eren sat behind Levi and wrapped one arm around his waist, the other held the saddle securely, and then he brought Levi close while Mikasa jumped up and sat in front of both of them, grabbed the reigns and got them moving.

They moved fast but with three people on one horse they couldn't possibly move as fast as they would have liked, all Eren could think of was Levi's erratic breathing and limp body against his, they weren't getting home fast enough... they might not be able to help Levi. Eren felt the tears burning at his eyes as his thoughts started to spiral, he couldn't stop thinking of not having Levi anymore, that Levi might actually die... and that it would be entirely his own fault. Maybe if they hadn't stayed so late or had the event at the base, if they'd kept more people around to get them home safely. They had been naive to think that if someone were to attack Levi would be able to handle them all... but then he had been able to handle them, Eren thought, if I hadn't left the carriage then Levi would be OK.

He let the tears fall slowly down his cheeks and buried his head against Levi, he breathed him in and felt the tears falling faster at the thought that this might be the last time he would be with him. He knew how strong Levi was but even the strongest have to fall someday. 

Their horse was slowing down a little and Eren glanced up to see what was happening and finally, finally his eyes focused and he saw the gates to the base.

"Almost there" Eren whispered to Levi, if he could hear him then maybe he would hold on a little longer. Mikasa had slowed at the sight of the gate as if in her relief she had forgotten to urge her horse on but after a moment they were thundering down the path going impossibly faster, help was in sight and they were going to get to it now.

Guards on the gate didn't open it immediately as at first they only saw a girl in a green hood riding much too fast towards them but as they looked the intruder over they saw she wasn't alone... and the sight of their Captain slumped over and nestled protectively between two people was enough to get them to open the gate quickly and set of the alarm bells signalling for help.

Eren couldn't help but notice that everything was relatively calm except for the initial panic over their arrival, he knew that if someone else had been hurt, if more then just their carriage had been attacked this place would be a flurry of activity. It was the only solace he can find at the moment, knowing that more than likely Historia and the baby were OK and all of their friends had gotten home fine- it had only been them.

But even them alone being attacked was enough. 

Mikasa pulled the horse up in the middle of the courtyard, it was pitch black outside but ever since they had been noticed lights were being switched on and people awoken. Mikasa jumped down first and held onto Levi while Eren dismounted and together they slid Levi carefully off the horse and onto the ground, someone had come forward quickly and taken their horse's reigns and led her away.

Eren was entirely focused on Levi, he was still breathing but it was shallow and erratic and Eren could hear the pain he was feeling with each shuddering release of breath. Eren's hands flew up and were fluttering over Levi's face not knowing what to do now they were home, they were safe but Levi was only getting worse.

"Eren!" A familiar voice called out from the direction of the barracks, Eren glanced up and saw Hange sprinting towards them, she reached them and took one look at Levi before falling to her knees next to him and getting to work. A stretcher followed her out only moments later and as Hange signaled them that Levi was OK to move two soldiers lifted him gently and placed him down on the stretcher, walking away with him quickly.  Eren was about to follow not at all liking Levi being out of his sight but Hange stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a serious expression.

"Eren, I'm not going to lie to you... Levi is in bad shape" Hange said softly, "I'm going to do the very best I can to save him but... I'm sorry, it might already be too late".

Her words came crashing down on him as she left quickly to run after the stretcher, it was a cruel thing for her to say but necessary for Eren to try and understand, Levi might not be coming back from this.

"Come on" Mikasa whispered and wrapped an arm around his shocked frame and started trying to get him to walk forward, he stumbled a few steps before he was able to walk a little quicker, he raised his hand to swipe a tear away and only then did he notice his hands. They were covered in dried blood, stained completely red in the soft moonlight, and it was that, the physical evidence on his hands that finally broke Eren completely. 

He slumped to the side, Mikasa catching him and holding him steady, she wrapped her arms carefully around him and held tight when he crumbled. Tears fell quickly and sobs soon followed as Eren broke down in her arms, reality hitting him fast and hard, he cried so hard and felt so alone that his legs shook terribly and carried his weight to the ground, Mikasa following him down. He didn't care that everyone in the courtyard was staring at them with worry, that movement had frozen around him and no one dared take a step, he didn't care about anything except Levi.

"Shh..." Mikasa murmured trying to comfort him, she was running soft hands over his back and keeping up a constant stream of soothing words and sounds but there wasn't much she could do except hold him. Eren still cried, he cried for Levi and for his new-found but short lived happiness, he cried for what was being ripped away from him in this moment and he cried that he couldn't do anything but sit here and cry.

He heard Mikasa talking to someone but only heard a few words of conversation but he didn't protest when he felt strong arms under his knees and around his back as someone lifted him off the ground and started carrying him inside. He felt Mikasa next to him and felt her hand still holding his tightly but he couldn't clear his head, it was just too messy and full of horrible thoughts for him to do anything more than try not to drown in itthem.

He felt as they made their way up a flight of stairs and as they stopped in front of a door someone was trying to open, he felt as he was carefully positioned into a chair and heard as a tap turned on and water poured out. Mikasa was still talking to him but it took the cool feeling of clean water over his face and neck to get him to focus on her words and get a little bit more of a hold over himself.

"Levi..." Eren whispered and heard her shushing him softly, a wet cloth ran over his face again and then started scrubbing at his neck, the cut there having long sealed but there was blood still covering his neck. She spent some time on his neck before she removed the cloth and washed it out before moving onto his hands and getting started on getting them clean. Eren stared down and watched as the blood soaked into the white cloth as Mikasa cleaned his hands and wrists and forearms... he was just covered in Levi's blood.

"I need to be with him" he murmured hoarsely and Mikasa stopped at his sudden words, she knelt down so they were on eye-level and spoke gently.

"We're heading there soon, I promise" she said sincerely and Eren nodded in understanding, his sister never lied to him, "but first there's someone that wants to see you". She finished cleaning his hands and helped him change out of what was left of his clothes and into something clean and not caked in blood and dirt and then they walked slowly out of the room and into a hallway. Eren vaguely wondered how she knew where she was going but he figured it out quickly when they barely walked five meters and she was knocking on the next door over.

It opened and Eren was faced with a very pale and worried Historia, who at the sight of him started crying as well and gently wrapped him up in a hug. It was surprisingly exactly what he needed at that moment, Levi was at the front of his thoughts but pressing at the back was Historia. He had no proof she was unharmed except for a theory and a feeling, but here she was, unharmed and healthy and that meant the baby was fine too.

"Oh, thank god" Eren muttered and hugged her back tightly before letting her go and without hesitation pressing his hand to her stomach for comfort, even though it was still pretty flat his kid was there and he needed the contact, "you're not hurt" he murmured more to convince himself than anyone else.

"We're OK, we got home safely hours ago" Historia said softly and Eren couldn't help but blink in surprise as he realized that Historia was speaking about his kid like an actual person.

"I thought- I thought you might have been hurt" Eren whispered and felt the tears falling again.

"We're fine and that's all you need to worry about where we're concerned" Historia said softly but with a strong tone, Eren wasn't to argue with her.

"I have to go" Eren said quickly, now that Historia and his baby were OK his mind was consumed by Levi and he needed to be there.

"I know" Historia replied gently, "but... can you get someone to let me know when- when you know more about Levi?"

Eren could only nod in answer and tried not to think to hard about her careful words, she hadn't said 'tell me when Levi wakes up' or 'let me know when he's OK', no, she had specifically just asked for the information when they found out.

With Mikasa next to him and a clearer head, Eren led the way to where he knew Levi would be and as he found the closed doors in front of him and the sound of voices beyond, he could do no more than slide down the opposite wall and sit with his knees to his chest and his head on his hands. He felt Mikasa wrap her arm around his shoulder and leaned into the familiar comfort of his sister... his sister who was here in Trost.

"How are you- I mean, what are you doing here?" Eren whispered suddenly, his voice rough and unsteady. 

"Well, Armin returned and told us the news of your child and of the amended agreement, after Father announced the news to Maria I decided I needed to use one of my visits to come and see you as soon as I could" Mikasa said, her story was distracting Eren and he began to hope maybe she would just keep talking until... well, until they found out Levi's fate. "I had a guard come with me but as we reached the village I heard talk of your little event and excited whispers as to what it could all mean... the people here, they seem to like you quite a bit" Mikasa said and nudged him gently in a familiar way.

Eren huffed out a breath but the thought comforted him and he sat and waited for Mikasa to keep talking, "Anyway, I heard the whispers and thought it a great idea to ditch my guard and come to the hall to surprise you, I figured that it would probably run late and that even if it were over you two might still be there. So, I retired to my room and then climbed out the window and went to my horse, I packed all of my things thinking I could just come home with you two instead, but when I got there it was empty and I don't know but something felt off".

"You climbed out your window?" he asked softly, her warm, familiar voice was lulling him into a more comfortable state but his thoughts were still much too active to find any kind of rest.

"I did, shimmied down a drainpipe and avoided all the guards with my amazing skills" she said lightly and Eren's lips turned up a little at her tone, she was exactly who he needed and he hadn't even realized it, she was calming him down just by being there and talking.

"Wish I could have seen that" he answered and she snorted but continued her story.

"I thought seeing as I was already packed I could manage to make my way back to your base alone, the guards who came with me were really only for show, it would have been better for me to go alone... but Father would not allow it" she said and Eren heard the bitterness he knew so well, Mikasa loved her freedom and their Father was constantly trying to nail her down, Eren had guessed a long time ago that Mikasa only accepted her fate as Queen through obligation and a wish to lead their people better than their Father. "So, I continued down the road for a few minutes before I saw..." she trailed off and Eren could feel her looking down at him.

"You saw our carriage... you saw everyone who had died" Eren filled in roughly.

"Yeah, I did. I only guessed it was yours though but I needed to follow and see if there were any survivors" Mikasa said, "and then I found you".

"You did" Eren whispered back, feeling the relief course through him again at the rescue and thanking Mikasa for following her instincts and wanting to surprise him with a visit.

"So, how are things here?" Mikasa said and Eren knew she was trying to keep him distracted from the current circumstances, "Armin says you're really happy and that Levi is the reason".

It probably wasn't the best or safest topic but Eren knew her heart was in the right place so he breathed in and tried to answer as best he could. "He really does... he's kind and loving and- and he's really excited about the baby..." he choked it out but couldn't go any further, Mikasa rubbed his shoulder and pulled him a little closer.

"He's going to be OK... he's strong and he's got you waiting for him... and a baby coming" Mikasa whispered, "he's coming back for you". Eren could only nod and shift closer to Mikasa's warmth, she continued to rub his back and talk to him but now he only heard her voice not her words.

Eren didn't know how long they sat there and waited but finally the door opened and Hange stepped out looking exhausted, Eren immediately sat up straight and tried to read Hange's expression.

"We had to do a lot of work and he's been touch and go for a while, we had to clean the wound out and sew it up and do a blood transfusion" Hange said steadily but Eren didn't care, he only wanted to hear two words.

"Hange, is he...?" Eren whispered and finally she smiled.

"He's stable for now" she said and rested a solid hand on his shoulder, Eren let out the breathe he had been holding since their carriage was attacked. Levi was stable.

"Wait, what do you mean for now?" he muttered.

"The next 24 hours are crucial, the blade wasn't poisoned but there's always the chance of infection and fever, if he can fight it and get through then he should be perfectly fine in a week or so" Hange informed them softly.

"Is he awake?" Eren said desperately and with Mikasa's help he got to his feet.

"He is and he's asking rather persistently for you" Hange answered with a smile.

"Well, you could have fucking started with that" Eren muttered but he was smiling and just so completely relieved, he pushed past Hange and walked quickly into Levi's room. There was medical equipment discarded to the side and an empty bed to the left but Eren didn't care he was focused entirely on Levi.

"Eren" Levi said softly from his spot on his bed, he smiled genuinely at his husband and that was all it took for Eren to run the rest of the way and throw his arms around Levi's shoulders.

"I thought you were dead" Eren whispered roughly, he felt Levi's hand in his hair comforting him and smiled.

"I'm sorry but I promise I'm going to fine" Levi murmured, "you're going to be stuck with me for a long time".

"Surprisingly I'm OK with that" Eren answered with a laugh but he pulled back so he could get a better look at Levi and see for himself that he would be OK. He scanned his eyes over Levi's body, he took in the still too pale face, the shallow breathing, the severely bandaged leg and the tubes that were running into his arm. He moved his hand and placed it on Levi's forehead to try and check his temperature, it seemed normal for the moment but he knew that could probably change at any point.

He was still consumed with worry but the sight of Levi awake and smiling at him did so much to help, he leaned in and kissed his lips softly while brushing his hand through Levi's hair, "I love you so much" he said softly, "I don't know what I'd do without you".

"Well, if I have my way you won't ever have to find out" Levi answered and with a finger on Eren's chin he guided Eren's lips back to his own.

"Oh... sorry" a voice called from the doorway and we both turned quickly, Mikasa stood there with a light blush on her cheeks and her hand on the door about to retreat.

"It's OK, Mika" Eren said and motioned for her to come over to them, "Levi, I'm sure you recognize my sister, Mikasa".

"I do, it's nice to see you again, your Highness" Levi said and tried to force himself to sit up properly but Eren kept a firm hand on his shoulder pushing him back to the bed and not letting him move.

"It's just Mikasa and it's nice to see you conscious, Levi" Mikasa greeted as she walked over and sat in the chair by the bed while Eren was perched on the bed itself, she continued slowly, her voice full of sincerity, "Thankyou for keeping the promise you gave me last time we met".

Levi nodded understanding completely but Eren was glancing between them confused, "what promise?"

Mikasa looked over at Eren and smiled a tiny smile, "He promised me you would never be harmed as long as he lived and that he would keep you safe".

"Of course he did" Eren muttered to himself but turned to Levi with a stern expression, "Thankyou but please don't hurt yourself to keep me from harm".

"I'm sorry that's not something I can do" Levi answered just as serious, "I will always protect you no matter the consequences".

"Idiot, you almost died" Eren exclaimed in frustration, he would not have Levi dying for him.

"And I would do it over and over again the same way" Levi replied sincerely but he found Eren's hand and picked it up, lacing their finger's together, "I can promise to never put us in that situation again though".

Eren sighed but Levi would never back down from those words so he squeezed his hand back slightly, "Fine, deal" Eren answered and Levi nodded shortly before focusing back on Mikasa.

"When did you get here?" he asked curiously.

"Mikasa saved us" Eren answered him softly, Levi raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked back and forth between Mikasa and Eren, but Eren continued "It's a long story for another time but all that matters is we're safe and we're home".

Levi nodded but then another look crossed his features, his flicked his eyes back too Eren and gripped his hand tightly, "The baby? Historia? Are they-"

"Fine" Eren interrupted quickly, "ours was the only carriage attacked". Levi breathed out deeply but the worried looked didn't leave his face.

"It does bring up some pretty important questions though" Mikasa said and both Eren and Levi nodded and looked at her while Levi filled in the rest.

"Yeah, who the fuck attacked us and why".

 


	35. Misery

Levi got a fever.

Not more than an hour after Eren was allowed in and Levi was sweating and shaking. His fever burned through him for a solid eight hours- eight hours of Eren running his hands through his already messy hair and pacing up and down beside Levi's bed and asking more questions than even  _Hange_ could keep up. It was almost worse than not knowing if he was alive, now Eren had to wait and watch as Levi tossed and turned not able to do a thing. 

But finally with Eren having taken a permanent seat by Levi's side did the fever finally let go of its hold over him. He was soaked in sweat and covered in blankets from being cold but he was finally sleeping soundly and his temperature had lowered. Hange came over with a smile on her face for the first time in hours and said those words Eren had been craving to hear for the better part of an entire day.

"He's over the worst of it now" she said softly. Eren felt all of the adrenaline running through him at the moment fall away as those words hit him and he finally slumped over to rest his head on Levi's bed, closing his eyes and sighing in relief.

"Oh thank fuck" Eren sighed, his words muffled against the mattress but the light, relieved laugh from Hange let him know she'd heard.

"He's a fighter if nothing else" Hange exclaimed and ran a soothing hand over Eren's back, "you should go to bed and get some sleep, you need it". Eren did need it, he needed sleep right now like he needed air but he couldn't move. He hadn't let Levi out of his sight since he'd been allowed inside and he wasn't leaving now just to go and sleep in his own bed.

"I'm fine, I'll sleep in here" Eren said firmly and moved around a little to get more comfortable and to show Hange he wasn't leaving anytime soon. She just laughed at him and left the room for ten minutes returning with a rolling bed behind her, Eren watched as she pushed the bed inside and right up against Levi's so they were situated next to each other and looked more like one big bed rather than two smaller ones.

"Thought you'd say that" Hange said with a smile and with a surprisingly tight hug she left the room with only a brief mention of coming back in an hour to check on Levi. Eren sat up and stretched his arms over his head, straightening out the knots in his back and cracking joints and bones to relax his body. He watched Levi breathe in and out steadily before standing up slowly and making his way to the bathroom attached to the room and proceeded to have the quickest shower in his life. He was breathing a little too quickly as he rushed back into the room, his hair dripping wet and his shirt twisted over his chest and not pulled down the whole way, he had almost been convinced Levi had gotten worse while he hadn't been looking. 

Levi, however, was exactly how Eren had left him except that he'd curled in on his side and his hand had crept over to where Eren had been sitting only minutes ago as if he had been searching out for him without realising. The little gesture made Eren smile and relax as he made his way over to his makeshift bed to curl up and carefully bring Levi over to him, he was dressed in his own pyjamas as Mikasa had made the effort to go and get more clothes for him from his room and he could finally lie down and rest.

He didn't sleep well. He woke up every ten minutes to check on Levi and make sure he was still breathing, the couple of times exhaustion took over and he did fall into a deep sleep he was overwhelmed by nightmares that made him spring awake with shock and run his hands over Levi and listen to his steady breathing in order to calm down. Hange kept her word and checked in on them every hour, her smile was getting wider on each visit and she was starting to tease Eren a little about the dark circles under his eyes, Eren just smiled back at her knowing that her teasing meant Levi was definitely getting better. If Hange had been serious and silent then Eren would have known Levi was still in danger and he would have been panicking rather than smiling and running soothing fingers through Levi's hair.

Hours past and Levi woke up every now and then very groggy and out of it but he was talking some and scowling and occasionally demanding to be allowed to go back to his own room so Eren knew he was OK. He would always fall back to sleep pretty quickly though as whatever he did in the few minutes he was conscious seemed to drain his energy and sometimes halfway through a sentence he would just close his eyes and drift back to sleep. Hange had him on some pretty intense painkillers and told Eren it was perfectly normal for him to sleep this much, in fact, it was proof of his strength he was waking up at all.

Mikasa stopped by every few hours as well to bring him some food and tell him she was out scouting the area with Levi's squad and giving him updates on the investigation as to who attacked them. They didn't really know anything yet. The first time she came in she said that the good news was that Levi's squad had left as soon as possible to retrieve the bodies from the attack site and they had returned with everyone that Eren had reported- the problem was that they were all dead.

Eren flinched when he heard that. He knew that some of them had been dead but all of them? He was sure Levi had just knocked a few unconscious maybe injured them severely but when they had left the site he was sure they weren't all dead. He told Mikasa as much but she didn't look all that surprised just nodded and left the room to report back to Erwin and Levi's squad.

It left Eren confused and even more tired so he put it out of his mind until later and he could discuss it with Levi. Eren was sure Levi would have a better insight as to what was happening, Mikasa didn't seem very talkative about it and for the moment Eren was fine to wait and worry about it later, he felt too heavy and his brain too foggy to try and focus on the details of what had happened to them, he just wanted to forget about it for now.

It was more than 24 hours after they had returned when Levi woke up for good, Eren had been resting his eyes and body but hadn't been able to sleep his thoughts too full of Mikasa's latest empty report- try as he might he wasn't able to completely put it out of his head. 

"Eren?" Came the rough whisper of Levi's voice and Eren instantly opened his eyes and took in Levi's face, he looked more alert than before and he had a little colour back in his cheeks. Eren couldn't help smiling and leaning in to kiss him softly with relief.

"You're awake" Eren sighed and as Levi shuffled around trying to sit up Eren rolled his eyes but slowly helped him even though Levi winced as he tried to move his leg. Levi rested his back against his pillows and didn't move his eyes off Eren's face, he saw the worry lines forming on Levi's forehead and tried to head them off before he could say anything.

"I'm fine, I promise, just a little tired" Eren assured him while running his hand through his hair yet again. Levi raised his eyebrow in argument but Eren leaned in and kissed him before he could talk, "I'm good, just worried about you. How're you feeling?"

"Better, my leg is fucking throbbing but I think I'm OK" Levi said and shifted his body over slightly so that their knees were touching and he could raise his arms and let Eren move in for a hug. Eren moved in quickly, not wasting time on hesitation but flinging his arms over Levi's shoulder and crushing their chests together as he desperately tried to avoid Levi's injured leg. Eren caught the body shudder and the way Levi's face scrunched up in pain but when he tried to pull back he couldn't, Levi's strong arms encircled him and pulled him just as tight as Eren needed in that moment and he didn't let go.

Now that Levi was awake and alert there were meetings that had to be had and as both Hange and Eren absolutely forbade Levi from getting up or walking around it was held around Levi's hospital bed. The little room was packed with everyone necessary from Erwin and Levi's squad to Mikasa and her retinue of soldiers, they had all been working tirelessly in order to get this sorted as fast as possible and not let any news get out.

A gag order had been sent out through the ranks and all of the soldiers on base were forbidden to talk about the attack on their Captain and his husband until they had express permission. Eren had been surprised to hear this not entirely sure why they should have to be quiet about it- he had been sure the news would have spread through Trost and Maria and then the surrounding countries of Sina and Shiganshina like wildfire over the course of the day.

Mikasa was the one that explained to him about how keeping quiet was the best option for everyone involved- how if the people responsible didn't hear anything they were more likely to do something stupid and careless, how if no one returned to report and the military didn't release any news they would be forced to show their hand a lot sooner and how if Eren and Levi both stayed on base for the next few weeks then the people responsible wouldn't know if they were even attacked and would probably try and up their game. All the while the people in this room would be working hard to find anything of relevance in order to lure them out and catch them before they tried anything again.

They also talked about how everyone they had found was dead and when mentioned Levi sighed in defeat, when Eren gave him a question look Levi explained his thoughts to the group about how the fact that everyone was dead was worse than there being people missing. If they were missing someone then their employer was relatively one dimensional and would be easier to take down as he hadn't set up any contingency plans for a failure but the fact they were all dead and Levi knew for certain he'd left at least one of them alive it caused more of a problem. Levi informed them how he believed their employer may have sent a clean up team as well and when they had watched the attack team fail and Eren and Levi had gotten away they were sent in to silence the surviving men so they couldn't name anyone which meant they were dealing with someone very clever.

The other problem they had was trying to figure out who had been the target whether it was someone after Levi or Eren or both of them. Nobody had tried to attack Historia which led them to believe they either didn't know she was pregnant or weren't after her at all which then dissolved into a whole new slew of problems and questions for everyone present.  Eren had told them he thought the attackers sounded Marian but after a heated discussion they all agreed that was information they could do nothing with because either someone from Maria _had_ sent them or someone else had in order to frame Maria and with Eren's uncertainty about their accent it really couldn't do anything to help.

They were talking for hours but Eren seemed to be the only one who notice Levi getting tense and twitchy, it started about an hour in and Eren kept a close eye on him but after three hours of not moving and no pain medication Levi seemed to be crawling out of his skin, his temper rising quickly and Eren finally stepped in.

"Alright, enough for today" he exclaimed and stood up from the seat that had replaced his bed, he got around ten pairs of eyes shooting over to him with surprise and some even with irritation. "Look, I'm exhausted and Levi needs to sleep so either finish up now or continue this somewhere else and send us a report. Either way you need to leave right now".

"Eren, I'm-" Levi started with anger rising in his voice but as Eren shot him a fierce look he stopped talking.

"No, you're not fine" Eren said firmly not caring in the slightest that they had an audience and continued in a commanding voice, "everyone is going to leave, you are going to sleep and maybe if you're lucky we will make our way back to our own room tomorrow". Levi had his eyes narrowed but it seemed as though the tiredness and pain had caught up with him and he didn't feel like arguing or maybe the way Eren looked at him made him not want to protest at all.

Everyone else was staring at them with a mixture of shock and amusement until Hange laughed loudly, "Guess that's our queue to leave". Slowly everyone got up and left, some with muttered goodbyes and others with little snickering laughs at the staring competition now happening between Levi and Eren. Levi didn't like being shut down in front of his soldiers but Eren wasn't backing down- he knew he was right and it was in Levi's best interest to get some fucking rest.

Levi opened his mouth to talk again as soon as the door closed behind the last person to leave but Eren just shot him a look and spoke first, "No, I'm not hearing it tonight, you can argue with me in the morning until your face goes red but right now you are going to lie the fuck down and go to sleep". Levi looked like he didn't even know what to say or do but after a moment of hesitation he sighed and bent to Eren's will, he relaxed against the head of the bed and then actually offered Eren a soft smile.

"I can argue with you in the morning?" he said around a little smirk and Eren couldn't help letting out a little snort at the words.

"Yes, I promise, yell at me all you want in the morning" he answered and crawled into bed next to Levi ignoring his own bed off to the side of the room and snuggling in close against Levi.

"I'll hold you to that" Levi teased lightly.

"We're not going to be able to leave base for ages" Eren mumbled and Levi sighed.

"No, we won't. Not until this is all cleared up and we're not in danger anymore" he replied, he got a small incoherent mumble from Eren while Levi slid down further into the bed so his head rested on pillows and Eren made himself comfortable on Levi's chest. He tried to stay annoyed at Eren for his actions but couldn't hold onto it, he had Eren pulled close to his side and they were both alive and well and even though Levi's brain supplied that he'd defintily gone soft after marrying Eren he found he didn't really give a fuck.

 

***

 

Levi made Eren bring him back up to their own room the next night and even though Eren had been dead set against it he caved after Levi agreed to a few terms. The first being he would promise not to get out of bed until Eren said so, the second not being allowed to do any strenuous activities or training until Hange cleared him for duty and the third being that Eren would carry him upstairs on his back so he wasn't walking.

Levi hated all of them but especially the third term- he only agreed because Eren promised him they would go late at night after everyone had gone to bed so no one would catch their Captain being carried piggy-back by his husband to his own room. It was a dent his pride wouldn't be able to take.

Eren had finally gotten Levi home after a ten minute walk of constant complaining and snark from his husband but he managed to restrain himself from dumping Levi on their bed in favour of placing him down carefully to avoid any further whingeing. Eren was finding out just how lovely Levi was while hurt and confined to his room and Eren actually felt his own response to house arrest was tame in comparison.

It wasn't lost on Eren how their positions had changed, in only a day Levi was demanding to be let up to go and train or go to work promising he was fine and his leg didn't hurt anymore while Eren was the one who had to drag Levi back to bed every time Levi managed to get up, he even started considering posting guards outside of their door (mostly for payback but Eren was also starting to understand the allure of Levi's idea). They had people coming in to give them updates twice a day but there was never anything new- none of the soldiers could find any leads as to who had attacked them and no one was making any moves forward and it was frustrating both of them that there was nothing they could do to help. 

After only two days of house arrest they were both driving the other mental and when Hange and Erwin arrived to give them an update Eren had barked a sharp warning at them to keep Levi off his feet and then stormed outside to go sit in the sun and get some fresh air and space. He loved his husband but neither of them did well being locked up inside and with sex off he table for the next few weeks they were both frustrated and bored and just about at their limit. 

Eren had just needed some space to think and to plan what he could do to make the next few weeks bearable, they needed something to keep their minds of the attack and the fact they were practically locked away in their room until Hange cleared them. Levi was consumed in the blackest mood Eren had seen him in and even though Eren knew he was free to leave his room when he wanted he didn't believe Levi would stay put without him there to force him and if Levi moved he knew he would end up hurting himself and they would be there longer. While Levi was on house arrest Eren was limited to the base and forced to have guards following him around as a precaution so instead he chose to stay with Levi to help cheer him up if not because his choices were limited.

He sat in his spot on an old fence and watched the base move through the activity of the middle of the day, he watched recruits training and saw Mikasa doing her own workout from a distance, he saw soldiers on guard while others laughed with each other while on break. Eren was able to breathe in fresh air and think clearly and try and figure out what to do for the next few weeks- inspiration hit as he saw Historia wandering over a far path her hand patting her stomach slightly and a little bump visible through her thin yellow dress.

Eren grinned and jumped off the fence, he knew what he could do to make Levi happy again and it would keep them plenty entertained for the next few weeks. He passed Historia on his way to the library and gave her a quick hug to her surprise.

"What was that for?" she asked as Eren let go with a happy grin.

"You gave me a great idea to entertain my poor bedridden husband with the added bonus of me not wanting to kill us both just to put us out of our misery" Eren exclaimed and beamed at the blonde.

She looked very confused but took it in stride and laughed lightly, "I'm glad I could help". Eren laughed finally feeling better than he had in days and on a whim he shot Historia a nervous glance and then bent down and started talking softly to Historia's little bump.

"Your dad is such a grump when he's hurt" Eren whispered and heard Historia laugh a little at his words, "but then again I'm no better than he is so I decided we're going to spend the next few weeks obsessing over you. See, you're the only thing I can think of at the moment to make us both happy and seeing as how your dad and I haven't really had a chance to do much we're going to do everything this week and it's going to be excellent".

Eren smiled a little at the cheesiness of what he was doing but he couldn't help the excited fluttering in his stomach either, he was so excited to actually be able to talk to his baby even though they definitely couldn't hear him and he absolutely looked ridiculous he didn't care. He stood up slowly and met Historia's eyes, she was beaming and watching him closely, Eren blushed a little and ran a hair through his hair but didn't apologize- he was definitely going to do that again so they would both need to get used to it.

"Umm, the other thing I was going to ask was whether you could come by our room like once a day? We can't really go anywhere and with the plans I have we probably won't want too but I want to see you and little Grumpy and I know Levi does too... would that be OK?" Eren asked suddenly nervous she was going to say no but she didn't instead she gave him a wide smile and nodded.

"What time?" was all she said in answer.

 

***

 

"Tell me how much you love me" Eren exclaimed as he pulled open the door, he blushed as he got wide eyed stares from Levi, Hange and Erwin having momentarily forgotten he'd left them there.

"Eren! Nobody's supposed to know about us" Hange exclaimed while clutching a hand to her heart dramatically and effectively easing all of the awkwardness out of the room, Erwin and Levi rolled their eyes simultaneously while Eren huffed out a laugh.

"Shut up shitty four-eyes and get the fuck out" Levi grumbled, apparently their joking hadn't been enough to ease Levi out of his terrible mood. Erwin stood up and grabbed Hange by the forearm and pulled them out of the room, she just waved back at Levi and grinned at Eren before they left and they heard the front door closed soundly behind them.

"So... why am I supposed to love you today?" Levi grouched with an eyebrow raised but Eren couldn't help laughing, Levi's miserable mood now sounding funny to him rather than exceedingly annoying.

"Well, because I'm brilliant of course" Eren answered without missing a beat while making his way over to where Levi was sitting on their bed, he climbed up and knelt in front of him excitedly, "plus I have a plan to keep us from killing each other for the next few weeks".

Levi raised his eyebrow in disbelief at his words but Eren couldn't be brought down instead he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Levi's frowning mouth, "I saw Historia on my walk and had an excellent idea".

Levi actually looked a little more interested as Eren said Historia's name and started to perk up while Eren continued, "so, we're both going to be very busy people once you're better and we both know it- I'm going to be working on the agency while you're going to be knee deep in training and missions. Now is really the only time we're going to have off before the baby gets here so I want to make the most of it".

"What's your idea?" Levi questioned and Eren beamed as he realized Levi didn't have the same level of snark as he had been listening to for the last few days.

"All in good time" Eren teased and then jumped off the bed like an excited puppy, "first I want a bath and I want you to join me". Levi gave Eren a withering look at his teasing but it held none of misery it had yesterday so Eren counted it as win in getting Levi to feel better. Eren just smirked and ran to the bathroom to set up the bath before coming back to pick Levi up before he tried to get there on his own, Levi gave in easily as Eren scooped him up bridal style and carried him to the bathroom. Eren sat Levi down and while the water filled the bath they both undressed and made sure Levi's wound was protectively covered before they got in, Levi got in first and Eren helped him as he sat down and carefully lifted his leg over the side so as to try not to irritate the wound and then Eren climbed in behind Levi and wrapped his arms around the raven's waist.

Eren kissed his shoulder softly and then the side of his neck before reaching around and placing a kiss on his ear, Levi sighed but it seemed the bath was working and easing most of the bad mood out of Levi.

"So, what's the new plan?" Levi asked after a few minutes of just enjoying soaking in the water together.

"Hm, well, I thought this would be the perfect time to just give in and go baby crazy" Eren answered, Levi turned his head and gave Eren a curious look, "we have so much to do to prepare and now that the news is out there we don't have to hide anything and I thought we could just do everything all at once".

"And by everything, you mean?" Levi asked, he sounded so much better now than he had done in days, his colour was back and he was teasing Eren again and Eren couldn't help but grin proudly at his success.

"Everything, we're painting and decorating and choosing furniture and clothes and blankets, we can pick out names and argue over whether it's a boy or a girl and we can just go completely nuts for a few weeks and immerse ourselves in our baby" Eren babbled happily and Levi smiled thinking that that actually sounded amazing.

"I'm in" Levi agreed easily and Eren laughed.

"I don't know how we're going to pull ourselves out of our baby madness but it'll be worth it" Eren chuckled and heard Levi snort with what had to be agreement. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the chapter was a little boring but I promise we are back to serious amounts of fluff next chapter!! We have baby week coming and that means painting the nursery, picking names and everything else that goes with it :D You'll get some more answers about the attack and Mikasa is going to be more present as well!!


	36. It Takes Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys!! This chapter is longer than most but it's also kind of an apology for not updating sooner :P Anyway hope you like baby week!!

"What about Sarah for a girl?" 

"Ugh... no. Listen, Levi, sweetheart, you've got to do better than that" Eren whined and twisted around on their bed to face his husband, Levi was glaring at him with narrowed eyes but sighed reluctantly.

"I don't hear you suggesting anything" Levi grouched, "and besides... Sarah's a nice name".

"It's nice, it's just not _right._ None of them are right" Eren answered his voice low and desperate, they had been arguing names for the better part of the last two hours and were very close to giving up entirely. They couldn't agree on anything and the amazing few weeks they were meant to be having completely and utterly obsessed with their baby was quickly going downhill.

Levi knew how close Eren was to walking away for a little air and honestly, away from Levi, and if Levi could get up and leave the room he would have probably tried to leave an hour ago. But he couldn't move and he wanted to try for Eren, it _had_   been a good idea to use this time to get ready for the baby and he knew he was being difficult... but then again so was Eren.

"Levi... we have nothing... two hours and we haven't gotten anywhere" Eren pouted, he drew himself up to sit straight so that he was sitting cross-legged opposite Levi and glared at him reproachfully. 

"We have some time to figure out a name" Levi answered softly, his voice soothing and his hand coming out to grab hold of Eren's. Eren didn't take his immediately but after a strained moment he let out a sigh and grip Levi's hand tightly.

"But we don't! Once your leg is healed we'll be so busy we probably won't even see each other that often let alone have time to figure out a name" Eren sighed and Levi had to breathe in deeply.

"Ugh, I'm sorry" Eren muttered, "I know I'm being fucking picky but nothing is right" he admitted with a grimace and Levi couldn't help but snort out a laugh at the words.

"Well, you're not the only one being picky" Levi murmured making Eren smile, "OK, new plan? How about we forget about names for the moment and focus on something else instead?"

"What did you have in mind?" Eren asked with a raised eyebrow and an open smile, happy to take a step back from names for awhile.

"How about the nursery? We could get a start on painting?" Levi answered, Eren smiled brightly but then it faded.

"But your leg... you're not suppose to move" Eren said with a grimace.

"I won't move it then... you can help me into the room and then I can just sit on the floor and do the bottom half while you get the top" Levi said in a strained voice, he didn't really like admitting he couldn't do something but with Eren smiling happily again it was worth it.

"That may actually work" Eren said and then grinned widely and teased, "I mean, even if your leg was OK you probably wouldn't be able to reach the top anyway". Levi launched forward, managing to be careful of his leg, and wrestled Eren back onto the bed- the brunette only laughing loudly underneath him and giving up without a fight.

"That was low" Levi grouched but only managed to make Eren snort loudly at his words, "Don't. Just don't say it".

'Wasn't going too" Eren laughed but the light in his eyes said that yes, yes he would have said something. Eren smiled and pushed on Levi's arms a little and Levi grudgingly let Eren help him sit up without hurting his leg, when they were sitting across from one another again with Levi's back against the bedhead Eren leveled him with a serious look.

"OK, as long as you promise not to move too much I guess it'll be fine" Eren said and narrowed his eyes in warning, "but you have to promise to let me help you walk and if your leg starts to hurt you have to tell me so we can have a break". Levi huffed at Eren's mothering but nodded shortly, at least painting would get him out of bed and doing something productive, Eren grinned happily at his easy acceptance.

"Alright so where do we start?" Eren exclaimed, his bad mood from before completely gone in favour of excitement for painting.

"We probably need paint" Levi drawled and didn't even blink as Eren slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"I know that, moron, but how do we get it? Neither of us are allowed to go anywhere let alone into town so how?" Eren said, rolling his eyes.

"Your sister? Do you think she might go in for us?" Levi said after a moment of thought, he didn't like asking Mikasa for help but like Eren said they couldn't exactly go in themselves.

"Yes, that's brilliant! She'd definitely go for us plus she has good taste so she'll pick out something nice" Eren said beaming but a second later his grin had faded a little and he looked anxious, he continued talking in a soft, low voice, "Can we get someone to go with her? I don't like the idea of her going alone". 

"Eren, we can send as many people as you like with her" he said steadily, he knew that Eren had been nervous since the attack on them, it had been planned to kill them and nobody had been caught yet and it was freaking the young man out. 

"Maybe just your squad? Only if they're not busy, though" Eren asked nervously and Levi nodded, already making arrangements to get his squad to be able to accompany Mikasa into town.

"They'll go... actually they'll probably be pretty excited to be honest" Levi said with a groan at the thought, Eren raised his eyebrow in question and Levi relented, filling his husband in on his thoughts.

"Before I married you I was a little, no, I was really fucking closed off... my squad knew as little as possible about my personal life- they still don't know a lot, really- so asking them to go paint shopping for my kids room? They'll probably be shitting themselves with excitement" Levi drawled while Eren laughed lightly.

"They really didn't know that much about you? But when you're not with me you're with them or Erwin, how could they not know about you?" Eren questioned, Levi ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I didn't want them too. I don't like getting attached to people, especially because of the job that we have it's better for me to keep myself distanced- I hurt less people that way if I get killed" Levi answered honestly and Eren sat up straight at his brutal tone but then suddenly he softened and smiled.

"I'm glad you agreed to marry me, Levi" he said tenderly. The sudden change in Eren had Levi scrabbling to catch up but his face had slackened with surprise only making Eren laugh louder and entwine their fingers together. "You won't be lonely anymore" Eren said softly and squeezed Levi's hand.

"I was never lonely" Levi answered defensively but in his heart he knew it was a lie, he hadn't known just how lonely he was until his bright eyed, brilliant husband had entered his life and thrown everything upside down and the way Eren was looking at him now he knew it too.

"You have me and soon you'll have our cute but nameless child" Eren said with a smirk, "I'm sorry but I don't think you'll ever be lonely again because if I have my way you'll have Mikasa and Armin as well and I'm going to make for damn sure you have your squad and Hange too".

"That's a lot of people" Levi deadpanned but couldn't find it in himself to get annoyed, he had someone in front of him who just cared so fucking much and even though he had been through hell he was still thinking of others and hoping for the best and Levi couldn't be annoyed about that.

"Yepp, so you best get used to it because I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon" Eren confirmed happily and Levi smiled a little knowing that he was plenty OK with Eren never leaving.

"So paint?" Levi offered and Eren smirked at the topic change but he let it go for the moment.

"I'll go ask Mikasa and your squad then... any colour preferences?" Eren said moving to get up and go find their friends.

"Nothing pink or purple " Levi said with a grimace and Eren laughed.

"But what if our kid really likes pink and purple?" Eren asked innocently.

"Then the kid can ask for it themself" Levi grumbled, it was a little too much for him to even consider painting a room to look _cute_. Eren was laughing and moving around their room to put shoes on and make himself presentable.

"OK, no pink or purple. How do you feel about blue or yellow or green?" Eren asked happily.

"They're fine" Levi admitted and then paused before continuing, "I think I like green, though".

"Alright, noted" Eren said and as he finished getting ready he leaned in for a quick kiss before going to the door and looking back with a glare, "Don't move a muscle, you move and I swear you'll regret it".

Levi just flipped Eren off with a glare firmly in place as he walked out the door.

 

***

 

Mikasa was all too happy to go into town when Eren asked and at her suggestion they were going to go looking at furniture and other things as well so that Eren and Levi might actually have the majority of the room done in the next few weeks. When Eren left Mikasa to go get ready he made his way down to the training grounds where Levi's squad was currently working out.

He watched them for a few minutes in happy silence and then approached, waving when Petra caught his eye.

"Hi, Eren, what are you doing down here?" Petra called out happily, stopping what she was doing to walk over and give him a quick hug.

Before Eren could answer, Gunther had approached as well and slapped him on the shoulder, "Our grumpy captain run you out of your rooms already?"

Eren laughed because yes, actually Levi had run him out of their room yesterday, "No, actually I'm here to ask you guys a favour".

"Oh? What's wrong?" Eld asked joining them as well with a grinning Olou following close behind.

"Nothing's wrong, it's more of a personal favour from Levi and myself" Eren admitted and when no one went to speak he kept going, "Well, with us locked up on base and with Levi injured we can't go into town or really leave our room at all which to be honest is a lot less fun than I thought". Eren stopped himself suddenly at where his rambling was going and blushed deeply when he heard little snickering laughter from the people in front of him.

"Anyway, we thought it best to keep busy and fix up the baby's room while we're on lockdown" Eren said and looked up to catch the looks of surprise on their faces, "what we were wondering was whether you four could go with Mikasa into town to protect her but also... also maybe help with picking out paint colours and some furniture?"

He looked up into the faces of four very shocked people and tried not to laugh, Levi was right, once they were over the shock they would be running for town but just in case he was wrong he kept talking just enough to make sure they were excited.

"And I thought you would be the best to protect my sister, even though I know she can definitely hold her own, I want her safe and I couldn't think of anyone better to do that" Eren said honestly and then smiled, "plus you guys know Levi the best of anyone so hopefully you'll know what he'll like the best".

They were motionless and silent, in less than two minutes Eren had managed to render four of Trost's best soldiers effectively useless and he wished he could just capture this moment so he could show Levi.

"Levi wants us to pick out paint?" Petra asked quietly.

"For his kid's room?" Gunther asked nervously and Eren nodded.

"Well, Mikasa is helping and we have a few ideas but basically, yes" Eren answered and was met with more blank expressions until Eld spoke up.

"So, he put us in charge of designing his kid's room" he said, his lips turning up in a smirk and he looked over to Petra meeting hers eyes and actually grinning, "this is going to be so much fun". After that the other three snapped out of it and there eye's started glinting with mischief and Eren knew they were already planning on ways to use this to their advantage and have a bit of fun at their Captain's expense.

"So no pink or purple walls" Eren started and was met with laughter.

"Captain doesn't want to have girly walls?" Olou teased.

"Not until the kid can ask for it themself" Eren answered with a smirk, "any other colour should be OK but maybe stick to green? I think Levi has a thing for green".

"Any furniture ideas? Do you guys have anything already?" Petra questioned cheerily.

Eren shook his head, "we have absolutely nothing so we'll need a crib and chest and, um, I actually have no idea what else we need" Eren said and flushed.

"That's OK, I have some ideas... I have two little nephews so I know what baby's need" Petra soothed and Eren sighed, he knew he'd come to the right people.

"Thanks, in that case Mikasa said she'll be at the stables in about 20 minutes to meet you, if that's OK" Eren asked and got four nods, "Oh and just send the bill to me and Levi, we'll handle it".

 

***

 

They got back late that afternoon as Eren was trying to stop Levi from tearing of his bandage so he could have a proper shower.

"It won't matter if I take it off for five fucking minutes!" Levi growled, Eren stared him down but kept his hand firmly over Levi's where he was trying to pull it off.

"Yes, it will. Hange said to leave it on so you're leaving it the fuck on" Eren snarled back and clamped his hand down, "you can't even shower on your own and I refuse to help if you take the bandage off".

"Fuck you, I need a shower, I feel fucking disgusting" Levi snapped while running his hand through his hair and making it stick up a little.

"Then you can have a bath and keep your leg out of the water" Eren threw back, not letting go and not letting Levi win, "You've been out of medical for like a day what makes you think you know better than Hange?!" Eren glared at Levi who just glared back neither one backing down.

"Uhh, sorry are we interrupting?" A voice called from their doorway and both Levi and Eren snapped their attention up to the people now standing in their entrance.

"No, sorry, come in" Eren called out and with a sharp warning glance at Levi, Eren jumped off the lounge and went to the door. Petra walked all the way in first, her hands full of bags and a nervous smile on her face, Petra was followed by Olou, Eld and Gunther all carrying what looked like heavy bags and matching nervous smiles and then following them Mikasa stepped in pulling Historia behind her.

"Historia?" Eren asked in surprise and instantly flushed at her having overheard their argument, Mikasa looked at him reproachfully and walked forward hauling a blushing Historia behind her.

"Historia was outside the door when we got here, she came to see you but heard you fighting" Mikasa explained and threw a dirty look in Levi's direction as well for unintentionally making Historia uncomfortable.

"Sorry, Historia, we were, ah, having differing opinions on the meaning of keep the wound dry" Eren said and couldn't help also throwing a dirty look at Levi. Levi just sighed, knowing as soon as everyone arrived that he'd lost their argument and was definitely not going to be allowed to shower.

"Fuck, fine, no shower" Levi snapped and slumped back against the lounge, he really did feel nasty and he just wanted to wash the grime off without worrying about keeping a fucking leg out of the water.  Eren looked over at Levi and frowned slightly in thought, he knew how much Levi liked to stay clean and not being able to shower at will must be really annoying for him on top of everything else he wasn't allowed to do.

With an apologetic smile at their guests Eren walked back over to Levi and climbed onto the lounge, his legs tucked under him and his arm resting on the back of the lounge, he leaned in so he could whisper in Levi's ear, "I promise if you don't take the bandage off I'll give you a proper sponge bath tonight and if your lucky a back massage- I'm really good at massages".

Levi turned his head and met Eren's sparkling eyes and raised his eyebrows in silent question but Eren shook his head knowing exactly where Levi's thought's had gone, "Sorry, Hange said no sex" Eren whispered, blushing, but he did sound genuinely sorry, "I can offer a sponge bath and a back massage... and an awesome night when Hange gives you the all clear".

"Deal" Levi whispered back and Eren grinned, he placed a quick kiss on Levi's lips and then turned all of his attention back to their guests.

"It's safe now" Eren teased with a glance at Levi, who just flipped him off, and motioned for everyone to take a seat. There weren't enough seats for them all so Historia took the armchair across from Levi and Eren perched on an armrest while Mikasa took the last available seat and Petra sat on her armrest, the rest of Levi's squad just made themselves comfortable on the floor.

"So, what did you bring us" Eren asked excitedly.

Mikasa then launched into all of their purchases, opening bags and pulling out boxes and grinning at Eren in excitement. Petra joined in every now and then when Mikasa forgot something and it turned into an entire hour of going through bags of tiny little baby clothes and coloured socks  and bibs and gloves and hats, Mikasa had two whole bags of blankets and another of stuffed toys while Petra was pulling out a beautifully crafted wooden mobile to show them, it had little colorful elephants on the end and was spinning around slowly making tinkling noises.

Eren knew they went overboard but couldn't really fault them, he had never seen Mikasa this excited before and didn't want to do anything to ruin her fun- the baby was going to be her niece or nephew after all and as the child's only aunt he figure she had the right to spoil it a little. They told them of the mahogany crib they had ordered made for them and of the changing table and the chest of draws to match that would arrive in a week or so and of the rocking chair that Eld had carefully picked out for them.

It was too much to take in but Eren knew he had made the right choice in asking their friends to go and with one look at Levi he knew his husband felt the same, Mikasa had so much more fun picking things out than he would have and with her living so far away it was the perfect way for her to feel involved. The other's were still fully immersed in going through each piece of clothing (they had taken Eren's word's into account and a lot of it was green) but Eren got distracted by a small sniffling sound.

He looked over and saw that Historia was crying quietly trying to mask her little sniffles in her hand, Eren immediately got up and grabbed her hand to pull her out of the room, he got a few funny looks but waved them off.

"Just showing Historia where the bathroom is" he said and pulled her through the door and closed it soundly behind them. Historia walked over to the toilet, closed the lid and perched herself on top, the little baby bump getting more and more obvious.

"Sorry, Eren, I didn't mean to start crying" Historia mumbled and wiped at her eyes.

"It's OK, what's wrong" Eren asked nervously, his heart was hammering against his chest and he just hoped that she wasn't about to say something that would break his heart.

"Oh, no, Eren, nothing's wrong" Historia said quickly and Eren knew his worries had shown clearly on his face, "no, I was just happy".

"You were crying because you were _happy_?" Eren asked in complete shock but Historia just smiled slightly.

"Yeah, sorry, my emotions are all over the place but it just hit me how lucky I was to be doing this for you guys" she murmured, "I could have been carrying a child for anyone and I'm just so happy it's you two, I don't ever have to worry that they'll be loved or wanted or cared for because I know you two will do everything you can. Sorry, it sounds kind of silly but I'm just happy that when I leave I won't have any regrets about my decision".

Eren sat back against the wall and breathed out in relief, "you scared me for a second there" he said honestly.

"Sorry" Historia murmured and smiled softly.

"You'll have no regrets?" Eren asked quietly and looked up to meet her eyes as she shook her head.

"No, I did have some coming into this but not anymore, you and Captain Levi are going to be really great and that makes my life so much easier" Historia answered softly.

"You OK now?" Eren asked, extending a hand to help her stand but she just smiled and nodded and let him help her up and together they walked back out to the others but Levi was the only one still in the loungeroom.

"They're in the nursery" Levi said, "I thought while they were here they could make themselves useful and help clear out the furniture already in there".

"Oh, shit, yeah that would have been hard to do alone" Eren said happily, "I'm going to go help, will you two be alright?" Levi gave him a look of complete derision and Historia waved him off as she went back to her seat, Eren laughed and followed the noises he could hear from the nursery.

They couldn't get anyone to leave until late that night and only managed to get them out the door when both Historia and Eren had fallen asleep, Historia snuggled up on her seat on the armchair and Eren with his head resting on Levi's shoulder and their hands entwined in Levi's lap. But it was a good night for them, it took the boredom away and made their home seem brighter and somehow more alive.

They trailed out with Eld actually carrying Historia, who was so dead asleep no one could wake her, and Mikasa waking Eren up slightly to give him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek in farewell and even nodding to Levi in a way he could only describe as friendly. They were both so tired that Levi didn't even ask about washing, he just wanted to go to bed, so Eren stood up and wound a strong arm around Levi's waist and making sure Levi put no weight on his injured leg as they hobbled their way back to bed.

 

***

 

"What about Philip?" Eren said playfully as he started cracking open the paint tins to get a look at the colour selection. They were sitting in the now cleared out nursery, with sheets over the floor and the walls clean and ready to paint, there were seven paint tins in front of them and surprisingly they hadn't had a chance to look at them yesterday.

Levi wrinkled his nose, "I don't like it... what about Westley or James?"

"James is OK but no Westley" Eren paused and then pouted, "Ugh but James could get shortened to Jim or Jimmy... no, I don't like it anymore".

"Eren, that kid will have us for parents I'm fairly certain if we want people to call him James then they will damn well call him James" Levi teased making Eren grin, he had finally gotten the lids off the paint tins and was staring down at 7 different cans of varying colours.

"What did they bring us?" Levi asked and Eren looked up in despair.

"I honestly don't know whether they are being serious or joking... and I'm a little afraid to ask" Eren pouted and then stared down at the tins in disgust, after their amazing job yesterday Eren knew they couldn't have been so lucky as to actually get good coloured paint.

"Oh god, what did they do?" Levi asked and tried to move forward from the wall to look.

"Alright, well first up we have hospital white" Eren said and tipped the can up so Levi could see, "a white so bright our kid probably won't need to ever see the sun". Levi snorted out a laugh and took the tin off Eren to put the lid back on and move it to the side- there would be no hospital room in here. 

"Next up we have, ugh, lime green... which honestly just speaks for itself" Eren said and wrinkled his nose, "what were they thinking" he muttered while Levi took the offensive green off Eren and put it next to the white.

"Alright what else?" Levi asked and Eren sighed as he looked into the next tin.

"Poo brown... they literally got us paint that looks like shit" Eren complained but Levi laughed at that one.

"I think that one is definitely their attempt at humor" he said and moved the horrible brown over next to the others.

"They need to pick up their game this is just annoying... oh, fuck, the yellow is disgusting" Eren grouched, "I think this one belongs with the shit brown... we could have an entire toilet on the walls at this rate". Levi was laughing again at Eren's disgust, it was pretty cute to watch Eren's face get all pinched with annoyance.

"And then they gave us this fucking colour... Levi, they want our baby to have a murder room" Eren whinged and then showed Levi the blood red colour, Levi winced at that one... it was in pretty bad taste given their recent circumstances, he was just glad it hadn't affected Eren at all but Eren was already passing the red over and going on to the next tin.

"This one is just not funny... and entirely Mikasa's doing" Eren said and showed Levi the light sky blue which Levi didn't actually think was all that bad.

"It's not terrible" Levi offered but Eren grimaced.

"This was the exact colour of my room as a kid, I hated it and it never got redone so I had this horrible blue shit on my walls for like 15 years" Eren grumbled.

"I'll take that as a no then?" Levi said with a grin.

Eren just nodded seriously and went to the last tin, "Well, this one just looks like the colour of some big-ass trees". Levi looked and had to agree, it was a dark forest green which would look terrible covering four walls of their nursery.

"They're fucking useless! Who picks these colours for a _child's_ nursery! Ugh, maybe if I threaten them with going into town myself they'll do a better job" Eren exclaimed but Levi was shaking his head even if he knew Eren was only teasing, there was no way Eren was going into town without him any time soon.

"I say we start painting it that shit brown colour and see what they do" Levi offered trying to distract Eren, who grinned widely.

"See? I knew I married you for a reason" Eren crowed and leaned forward in excitement.

Levi raised and eyebrow, "Just the one reason?"

"Well, I mean, your arms are making a pretty compelling argument for themselves right now" Eren said seriously while staring at Levi's bare arms, Levi just snorted and rolled his eyes as Eren began to laugh.

"Alright! Shit coloured walls it is" Eren said loudly and leaned in to kiss Levi lips quickly, he pulled back and smirked, "OK, make that three reasons".

 

***

 

The shit coloured walls went down about as well as expected, it took only a horrified look at the walls before Mikasa and Petra vanished and returned with a tin of a light, happy yellow and a soft, warm green before demanding that Eren and Levi paint over it immediately. They had wasted most of the day painting with the brown but it didn't matter to them, they were finally having some fun. Eren decided he wanted the green so they could match the colours with other things they'd bought but Levi had a feeling Eren had seen the look off distaste on his face as he saw the yellow.

"George or Arthur?" Levi suggested lightly, they had been throwing names around for the past day and nothing had stuck but now they had something to do they weren't taking it so seriously anymore, it was turning into the good experience that Eren had hoped it would be.

"Ugh, no. How 'bout Cecily or Elizabeth?" Eren threw back.

"No. Mary or Margaret?"

"Please, we aren't having a 70 year old... pick something younger"

"Samuel? Gideon? Oliver?"

"Ooh, I don't mind Oliver"

"So, Oliver is on the table?"

"Yeah, I think so... oh, no wait, scrap that- it could get shortened to Ollie. Nope off the table" Eren said with a sigh.

"This kid isn't ever going to have a name, is it?" Levi teased and Eren flicked a little bit of green paint at him

"Shut up... we'll find one" Eren said sounding weirdly cheerful, "could we try and find something good for a boy and a girl? Then we only have to pick one name".

"That's... that's actually an excellent idea, any clues?" Levi said.

"What about Alex? Then we could just go with Alexander or Alexandra?" Eren offered with a smile.

"Bit of a mouthful but it's on the table... anything else?" Levi said happy that they actually thought of something they both kind of liked.

"Ah, no. I can't actually think of anything else... fuck, we're useless" Eren whined and frowned at the wall he was meant to be painting.

"Let's just paint the fucking walls" Levi said and dragged his brush a little more harshly down the wall, they just couldn't think of anything right and although they were having fun now it was still grating on him.

"Whoops" Eren said playfully as he dripped some paint on Levi's head, he was sitting right under him and the opportunity was too good to pass up. He watched and giggled as the droplets of paint fell onto Levi's hair and then slid slowly down his face, stopping on his cheek.

"Whoops?" Levi grouched back and glared up but Eren was snickering again and slowly he tipped his paintbrush up so that another splash of paint fell off and hit Levi right on the tip of his nose. At that Levi grabbed Eren's legs and pulled him down to his own level, Eren squeaked loudly and landed on his ass but before he could more than wince, Levi had kissed him hard.

Eren leaned right into it knowing it was a trap but he couldn't help himself from slowly running his tongue over Levi's lips but as he'd guessed Levi had other plans, as soon as Eren closed his eyes and moved his arms around Levi's neck, Levi had dipped his fingers into an open paint can and ran them all the way down Eren's face, leaving a trail of paint that ran from his forehead to his chin. 

"Oh... that's it" Eren warned pulling back and grinning, he moved his paint brush up quickly and dragged it right down Levi's shoulder to his elbow but before he could move away Levi had wound his arms tightly around Eren's waist so that he couldn't move from his spot between Levi's legs and then he reached out and quickly grabbed one of the discarded paint tins from earlier, the lid was still loose so he knocked it off and pushed his hand in and then smacked it softly against Eren's face.

Eren still had hold of his paintbrush as Levi lifted his hand to reveal a shit coloured hand print on Eren's face, he couldn't hold in his laughter and sniggered loudly at the shocked look on Eren's face.

"You. Are. So. Dead" Eren whispered menacingly and moved his hand to swipe a long green paint trail across Levi's face and then leaned over heavily to get at the other paint tins, grabbing the first one his finger's touched and taking the whole tin he sat up and tipped it upside down right over Levi's head. Levi had know what was coming but with Eren on his lap and his leg stiff and sore he couldn't do anything but close his eyes and let the blue paint fall over him.

Eren was in stitches, laughing so hard his hands had dropped his paintbrush to clutch at his sides instead while Levi moved his hand to try and clear some paint off his face. 

"You in there somewhere" Eren snickered and pulled his shirt up to wipe the paint away from his eyes and mouth but before he could any further Levi had grabbed him tight to his chest and rolled them over so that he was hovering over Eren and the brunette was covered in blue.

"Fuck" Eren laughed at the feeling of wet paint seeping through his shirt but looked up at Levi with a grin, "you happy now?"

"Yes, actually" Levi answered with a smirk, "but I'll be even better when I cash in on that sponge bath and back massage".

Eren just laughed loudly and raised his head to place a light kiss against Levi's lips, there was too much paint to do much else, "I think I can handle that".

"I thought of the perfect name" Levi said and smirked as Eren's face lit up, "I was thinking for a boy: Eren and for a girl: Eren". Eren groaned at the joke but Levi was laughing softly.

"That's terrible" Eren said in defeat.

"It's perfect- this way I get two Eren's and we only have to pick one name" Levi teased with a grin.

"You're an idiot" Eren said fondly.

 

***

 

"It's finally fucking done" Eren said with relief and slid down to the floor to lie in the middle of the newly finished nursery, Levi lay back next to him and breathed out.

"It looks good, Eren" Levi murmured and turned his head to catch the happy grin on Eren's face. Hange had finally given him the all clear for his leg and he was finally going to start light training again tomorrow to get back into shape while Eren could spend some time with his sister.

They had spent two weeks painting and cleaning and moving furniture and arguing over baby names and the results were pretty great. They still hadn't found a perfect name yet but they had a few ideas on the table and Eren had spent a lot of time filling Levi in on information he'd read in his baby books. By the end of the two weeks it felt more like they'd done a crash course in baby rather than a holiday but relief was coursing through them at the idea they were finally done.

There were still a few things yet to arrive but the crib had come in four days ago along with the drawers but the changing table was taking longer and the rocking chair would be another week yet but it didn't matter because everything else was done and in place and they were somewhat prepared for what was coming. They would sleep really fucking well tonight.

"Amelia" Eren whispered and looked over at Levi with a nervous smile, "I really like Amelia for a girl".

Levi paused before he spoke but as he said the name he'd been worrying over he knew it was right, "Amelia Isabel".

Eren grinned and rolled over so he was half on top of Levi, he was grinning widely and his eyes were glittering, "Amelia Isabel Ackerman-Jaeger. It's perfect".

Levi smiled as the name settled on him and he felt how right it sounded, he'd never mentioned Isabel or Farlan to Eren before, he never liked to think about them at all if he could help it, but as Eren smiled down at him he knew that he could talk about her again and that Eren would listen.

"She was my friend" Levi murmured and Eren paused, his smile faltering.

"Isabel?" Eren asked quietly, his smile dropped as he recognized the familiar sadness creeping its way back into Levi's face.

"Isabel Magnolia" Levi whispered and smiled sadly at the memory, it had been too long since he'd thought of his friends, "and Farlan Church". Their familiar faces ran though his head and he closed his eyes for a moment to try and keep a hold of their smiles for a second longer.

Eren stayed quiet as Levi spoke again, his eyes focused entirely on the raven's face, "they were my friends when I lived on the streets... I met Farlan first and then I met Izzie. She had so much energy and life and she made my life better for having her with us. When I was caught by Erwin they- they decided to join the military with me and on our first operation we separated... and they were killed".

"Oh god, Levi" Eren whispered but he didn't move, he knew there was still more Levi wanted to say.

"I left them, Eren, it was raining so hard and I told them to stay where they were- that it would be safer for them to stay with the group so I could ride ahead and get a message to Erwin... I left them and when I came back there was no one left. Their squad had been found by the enemy and they were taken by surprise... they were completely outnumbered... they couldn't have survived" Levi whispered, his voice rough and strained with emotion.

"If you'd stayed you would have died as well" Eren said softly and Levi nodded, he knew the facts, he knew he couldn't have done anything to save them even if he'd stayed, he knew they would have been happy that he wasn't with them but it still hurt, it hurt so fucking much that he couldn't breathe when he thought of it.

"I just- I should have done something" Levi murmured and Eren could hear the pain so present in his voice but he couldn't do more than lean in and wrap his arms around his husband and hope it was enough. A thought had been warring in Eren's head and before he could stop himself he had to ask.

"Levi, who was the enemy?" Eren whispered but he felt like he already knew the answer as Levi glanced up at him, his eyes soft.

"It was Maria" Levi said in the silence and Eren froze, he pulled back and sat up, thoughts running through his head so fast he couldn't catch up but he did manage to speak.

"How- how could you marry me after that?" Eren asked, his voice broken and rough, his heart felt like it was going to tear in his chest but Levi sat up quickly and grabbed a firm hold of Eren's hands stopping him from thinking anything else.

"You are not your country and I no more blame you for their death than you blame me for the deaths of your people" Levi said firmly, he moved his hand to tip Eren's chin up so he could lock their eyes together, "I wanted to tell you about my friends because I loved them, this has nothing to do with war or our countries or anything between us. I love you, Eren, and I loved them and I wanted to tell you about them".

Eren blinked away his tears, he didn't know how Levi could get over it but he knew when Levi was being honest with him, he didn't blamed Eren for anything and for that small truth Eren tried to pull himself together. Levi wanted to talk about his friends with the person he loved and Eren would listen just like Levi listened to him about his mother.

"I'm sorry" Eren whispered.

"It's not your fault, it was war" Levi said steadily but Eren was shaking his head softly.

"No, I'm just- I'm sorry they were caught up in the war, I'm sorry they died and I am so sorry you lost your family" Eren said looking up to meet Levi's eyes, he bit his lip and continued, "I wish I could have met them".

Levi smiled sadly, "Me too, Eren, although they would have teased me mercilessly about you" he said and laughed at the thought, "Izzie in particular would have been relentless". Eren smiled and wiped away the last evidence of tears taking in a deep breath and brushing off any lingering feeling of doubt, Levi loved him and would never blame him for this. 

"What were they like?" Eren asked and squeezed Levi's hands.

He smiled again, "Farlan was like a brother to me, he was calm and controlled but so insistently stubborn it was almost ridiculous- once he set his mind to something he would get it done. And Izzie... she was like any annoying little sister, tough, stubborn but loyal, she loved me and Farlan so much... probably too much". And then Levi focused on Eren and tilted his head, "you actually remind me of her sometimes" he said quietly.

"What? I do?" Eren asked in shock but Levi just chuckled.

"Yeah, you do. It's not much but sometimes when you laugh really loud it sounds like her and when you yell, she got this little frown line between her eyebrows... just like you do" Levi answered, he studied Eren's face carefully hoping he wasn't freaked out but the brunette was smiling again, not as wide or as happy as before but just as sincere.

"Well, in that case Amelia Isabel is the perfect name" Eren stated and leaned in to kiss Levi firmly, Levi sighed and kissed him back, closing his eyes and thanking the universe again for bringing him to Eren.

 


	37. Shake It Out

"One more minute... please" Eren murmured and clamped his arms tighter around Levi's waist.

"Eren, I have training to go to and you have to meet your sister" Levi replied with a small smile, "we have to get up".

"No, Levi, come on... one more minute" Eren grumbled, "in like five months our lives are going to be really busy for - for, well, a really long time after that... can't we enjoy the moment?"

"So, you're OK with me being late on my first day back at training?" Levi asked softly with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes" Eren answered firmly.

"And you don't care about keeping your sister waiting?" Levi asked.

"Not really" Eren said and nuzzled his head further into Levi's chest.

"And seeing your friends after two weeks? You obviously don't want to do that?" Levi asked gently.

"Maybe... maybe we could go down soon" Eren grumbled but his grip didn't soften.

"And missing breakfast?" Levi asked softly, at that Eren picked his head up a little and mumbled something.

"Fine, you win... let's go" Eren sighed and extricated himself for Levi, he rolled away and sat up throwing his legs over the side and giving Levi a really nice view of his toned back and muscles. Levi sighed and extended a hand to grab hold of Eren's, Eren turned his head with a smirk and Levi just pulled him back down and shifted him so he was just as close as before.

"Maybe just another minute" Levi whispered and Eren grinned in triumph out of sight. They dozed for a minuted before Levi nudged Eren awake and turned to look at him seriously, "I think you should tell your sister" Levi murmured and Eren peered up into Levi's face.

"Hmm?" he whispered and tilted his head in question.

"About your father... I think she deserves to know" Levi continued softly, Eren's eyes widened at the comment and his chest tightened at the thought of his father.

"I don't- I can't - she'll... no, Levi... I can't" Eren stuttered, his heart pounding and his hands shaking at the thought.

"Just think about it" Levi said softly and pulled Eren against his chest to hug him a little tighter and give him comfort, "it'll be good for you to tell her... plus I think she should know about him".

Eren stayed silent, deep in thought, but eventually he shook his head. He couldn't tell Mikasa. It was too hard.

 

***

 

"You look really happy" Mikasa said cautiously, Eren raised his eyebrow in question and Mikasa sighed, "Just a lot happier than I thought possible". They were sitting outside under a large, shady tree with Mikasa sitting cross legged in front of him and Eren with his back leaning against the trunk.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked carelessly, he was enjoying the sun and the company a little too much to pay much attention to her tone.

"You're happy here" she said firmly, "and you weren't happy in Maria... I can see it now".

"I was happy in Maria" Eren said by reflex but his body had straightened and his face pinched as he remembered just how unhappy he had been there.

"No, you weren't" Mikasa said and tilted her head, "but you're happy here... why the change? What happened?"

Eren tried to breathe steadily through his nose, he remembered Levi's advice from this morning but he didn't think he could tell his sister, he didn't really want her to know, "I got married" was all he said instead.

"No... I don't think that's all. You're relaxed here and you smile more and you have friends... besides me and Armin you didn't really try and have friends in Maria" Mikasa murmured, her eyes were narrowed and Eren recognized the expression- she was close to figuring something out and she wouldn't stop until she did.

"People here they- they treat me differently" Eren said, trying to at least answer one of her questions without having to tell her all of his secrets, "they tease me and laugh at me and they don't treat me like I'm fragile... like I'll break if they say the wrong thing".

"Did we do that at home?" Mikasa whispered, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Yeah... even you and Armin, although I don't blame you- I would have done the same if it had been your mother but... but it didn't help me feel normal" Eren answered slowly and then tried for a smile, "but I am happy here and I'm really happy you're visiting". It seemed like enough for his sister at the moment, she smiled slightly and tried to put the other thoughts out of her head- the serious changes that had taken place in her brother and how he didn't seem nervous or sad anymore, he was almost always smiling here.

"So... now do I get to ask about Captain Ackerman?" she asked softly but Eren saw the protectiveness wash over her and he sighed- he knew this conversation was coming and he'd been avoiding it like the plague.

"It's just Levi, Mika" Eren replied and smiled at his sister, "he's family now you'd best get used to calling him by his name".

"Fine" Mikasa said stonily, her eyes lifting and locking onto Eren's dangerously, "I'd like some answers then". Eren swallowed nervously, he had been prepared for his big sister's speech but with her eyes glinting and her stiff posture he couldn't help but be nervous- this was going to be very awkward.

"What do you want to know?" Eren asked slowly.

"I just want to- I want to..." she swallowed and looked over, her guard dropping and worry clear on her face, "I want to know he's treating you OK". Eren couldn't help snorting out loud at that one, treating him OK? His worst day here beat out his best day in Maria since his mother died.

"What? What's funny?" she asked.

"Nothing" Eren answered and then smiled at her genuinely, knowing his sister was worried about him was enough to have him in a good mood again and he was going to take advantage. He'd been around Levi enough to know how to spin a conversation so that he was the one doing the embarrassing instead of being embarrassed.

"So, you're OK?" she asked and then blurted out the rest which Eren knew she'd been holding in for the last few weeks, "how can you be OK? You've known him little more than six months! I mean, you met him at the ceremony and now you're five months away from having a kid! How can you possibly OK?"

Eren smiled but didn't answer right away as he wanted to think over her words, how was he OK? That was easy- he had Levi. And Levi made everything OK for him, he made the idea of having a child exciting and not utterly terrifying, he made Eren feel safe and loved and wanted and for Eren that was enough to make him OK. So what if they had met on their wedding day? So what if their relationship had evolved faster than anyone even thought possible? He was in love and he had Levi and he was far, far away from his father.

"I'm OK because I love him" Eren answered steadily and smiled, Mikasa blinked owlishly at him.

"How though?" she asked, her voice showing more confusion than anything else, "Armin said you did but I thought it was a line to stop us from worrying, how can you love him so quickly?"

She paused and breathed in deeply and then carefully said the next words, "Eren, please tell me honestly if you're lying... if you're saying you love to placate us I need to know".

"Mikasa" Eren started firmly, "You have seen us together the last few weeks, right?" 

She nodded slowly so Eren continued, "does it look like I"m trying to placate you?"

"No" she whispered and then leveled Eren with an honest but sad look, "but you are very good at hiding things". Eren blinked not expecting those words, apparently Mikasa had noticed something going on back in Maria. She couldn't possibly know what it was or their father may very well have been dead by now but she knew something had been wrong. Eren breathed out and for a moment considered taking Levi's advice and telling his sister the truth but dropped the idea almost as soon as he had it, he couldn't tell her yet but maybe... maybe if he said enough she could figure the rest out on her own. It was the best he could do for now.

He _would_ have to convince his sister of his happiness though, "Mikasa, I love him" Eren said softly, "I think from the moment I saw him".

"That's attraction, Eren, not love" Mikasa said firmly.

"Fine, I was attracted to him the moment I saw him" Eren shot back and then paused to think about it, why had he fallen in love with Levi? He couldn't think of any one big moment of realization and then it hit him that he hadn't had one. "I love him for the little things" Eren said softly and Mikasa cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"The little things?" she asked, her tone honest and full of question.

"Yeah, the little things" Eren continued, "like when he steadied my hand so I could put the ring on his finger or how he noticed I was starving at our reception and gave me his food". Mikasa was watching him carefully trying to read his expression and make sure he was being honest, the little smile in the corner of his mouth was enough to tell her he was being truthful.

"He never touched me on our wedding night" Eren admitted softly and Mikasa's mouth popped open a little in surprise, "we didn't even have sex until like a month later... and I was the one to pursue him".

Mikasa looked outright shocked at that, "You pursued him?" she gasped, seeming not to realize she was actually talking about her brother's sex life.

Eren just grinned, "Armin was surprised too but come on? Have you seen him? If I didn't go after him he never would have done anything".

"He-he wouldn't have?" she asked, surprise still coloring her voice.

Eren snorted at her assumption, "Never, he's gorgeous and smart and honestly, an asshole but no he never would have gone after me unless I initiated it. The way we met and being forced into a marriage? That was enough for him, if he didn't end up liking me or if I didn't like him we would probably rarely see each other except for formal occasions. For fucks sake he had a spare room made up for me when I got here so I wouldn't have to share with him if I didn't want too".

Mikasa nodded slowly taking in the information but she did seem stuck on something he had said, "he didn't touch you on your wedding night but you have... you've _slept_ with him?" she asked in a quiet, strangled voice.

Eren snorted and met her eyes with a glint of mischief before saying, "Many, many times".

"Eww, OK, no... too much information" she said waving her hands and grimacing, Eren just laughed loudly. Mikasa met his eyes and finally sighed, "he's treating you well?"

"Yes, Mika, he's treating me well" Eren said firmly and then he started to babble with a dopey grin on his face, "he's kind and generous and OK, maybe it's only with me but that's enough. I'm the one he talks too and I'm the one he listens too, I'm the one who can talk him down when he's pissed and I'm the one he comes to when he's hurt or worried or stressed. He may not show it but he's really excited for the baby and he actually picked out the baby's first piece of clothing and talked baby with the lady at the shop for a long time. He worries about Historia and the baby all the time and actually made an effort to make her comfortable here... you don't know him well but Mika but I was so incredibly lucky to marry him".

Mikasa was watching him ramble and as each word spilled out of his mouth, in a way that only those completely, idiotically in love could manage, she relaxed visibly. Her brother was more in love than she'd thought possible and he was so much happier here, he'd found a family who loved him and he had a husband he thought the world of.

Eren had paused to take breath but he kept going, "He protects me and I try and protect him. I know it's quick but Levi and this baby? I somehow fell into the life I'd always wanted without knowing I even wanted it... I feel safe here".

Mikasa nodded as he spoke but her smile faded as he murmured the last words, "You didn't feel safe in Maria?" she asked, her eyes watching for a reaction and her brother gave her one. Eren stiffened and bit his lip, he hadn't meant to but he'd said too much... his hands shook as Mikasa stared at him and he watched her process the words. She looked a little surprised but mostly she looked thoughtful- she was trying to figure out why Eren hadn't felt safe in Maria. Eren unconsciously started rubbing his wrist in the spot his father had broken months ago and Mikasa didn't miss the motion.

Her eyes widened a little and Eren knew she'd realized something, "Armin said you'd broken your wrist" she said slowly, Eren pulled his hands apart and tried to speak but words weren't coming.

"Eren, how did you hurt your wrist?" she said fiercely and reached out to grab his hand as if she could find out by touching him.

"I- I fell off my horse" Eren stammered nervously, no god please them not be having this conversation. Eren desperately just wanted to go back to talking about Levi, how could his husband have thought he was strong enough to talk about this? He didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want her to know... he didn't want her to think any differently about him.

"No, you didn't" Mikasa said sharply, "Eren Yeager, I know when you're lying. What happened?"

Eren couldn't speak, he sat there in shock, hoping and praying that Mikasa would believe him or let it go or that Levi would show up and save him but nothing happened. Mikasa just kept staring at him intently.

When he didn't answer she spoke again, her voice low and steady but strained, "When father returned from Trost he was furious- I've never seen him like that". Eren winced and moved his hand back to rub his wrist- he knew that look too well.

"After a while I started to hear rumors, nothing solid and nobody would give me any more information- not even Armin when he returned, but I heard whispers that Captain Levi had made a deal so that father would never be able to see his grandchild, that he would not be involved in the child's life... but I didn't believe it, it couldn't be true, right Eren?" she whispered while Eren stiffened, Mikasa had heard about their deal but she'd only heard part of it. Eren didn't know what to say, his secrets were unraveling in front of him without his control.

"There's no reason Captain Levi wouldn't want father to see the child, is there?" she asked sharply, Eren swallowed his nerves but he did find his voice.

"It's true" he whispered and Mikasa narrowed her eyes, "father's not allowed near our child".

"Eren" Mikasa said desperately, a tone Eren had very rarely heard before, he met her eyes and she whispered her voice cracking, "what happened to your wrist?"

Eren, his back stiff and straight, his voice cracked and his hands shaking, was only able to murmur a word in answer, "father". Eren watched in horror as Mikasa's face transformed as the full realization of what they were saying come tumbling down on her and a look of complete an utter fury swallowed her expression- it was a look so fearsome that Eren started to tremble, all of his old panic rising up and overcoming him. He'd made Mikasa furious. He'd lit her face with a type of rage he's never seen on it before.

She looked violent, a storm raging just under the surface, and Eren had caused it.

He felt the familiar feeling of panic taking him, his throat closing up and his whole body trembling, his breathing coming out in short, sharp bursts and only enough to keep him conscious. His heart was thumping loudly, his chest the only thing keeping it from bursting, and he could feel the tears coming hot and heavy down his cheeks. Mikasa knew about their father.

She knew and she looked like she was going to kill him.

"I'll kill him" she said, her voice low and terrifying. Eren squeaked at the words and flung his hand out to grab hers, trying to get her to stop from leaving, she couldn't leave, please god don't let her leave. Their father was dangerous and he was scared for her.

"I'll kill him" she said again, her voice rising with fury, but her head turned to take in Eren who still had a firm grip on her wrist. He saw the fury fade a little as she saw him, she recognized the panic attack immediately but now she knew the reasons behind the attacks and it only seemed to stoke the fire.

"Mika, please" Eren croaked but then he had to let her go and lower his head and close his eyes to try and pull in deeper breaths to stay conscious.

"I'm here" Mikasa said, the fury wasn't gone but worry for her brother had taken hold for the moment but Eren was spiraling and he couldn't find his way out and Mikasa had never been able to pull him out of an attack before. Mikasa knew about their father. She knew. She knew. She knew. The words and the cold look of fury kept replaying over and over in his mind stopping him from breathing, he was wheezing, his knuckles white as they clenched at his shirt trying to pull it away.

"Eren, Eren, what can I do?" she muttered, she tried to place a hand on his shoulder but he flinched visibly and started to sob, no longer in control of his body.

"Mikasa! What's happening?" it was a voice Eren should recognize, it was feminine and familiar and he knew it but he couldn't place it.

"Panic attack" Mikasa called back, her voice now entirely full of worry and only laced with the anger he had witnessed earlier.

"I'll get Levi, hold on" the voice called back, he heard footsteps running off and tried to focus on something, anything, to try and stop the panic attack. The voice had said Levi was coming and that was enough for Eren to start sucking in a a breath between sobs and unconsciously he started to focus on Mikasa's voice.

"Shh, Eren, everything's OK. I'm not leaving. Come on, little brother, breathe" she whispered desperately but she didn't dare trying to touch him again, "Levi's coming. Levi's on his way".

Eren repeated those words over and over again. Levi's coming. Levi's on his way. It was enough to focus on to keep himself conscious. He didn't know how long he chanted those words over in head or how long Mikasa knelt next to him trying to calm him but soon enough there was a new sound and he heard footsteps getting closer. He instinctively flinched away from it but then he heard a voice. He heard Levi's voice.

"Eren, love, can you hear me?" Levi whispered his voice anxious, Eren let out a choke of relief at his voice, Levi was here! "Breathe, Eren, in and out, remember?" Eren tried but he couldn't do it, his thoughts kept going back to Mikasa and their father.

"It's you and me, alright, listen to my voice and just breathe in and out" Levi murmured, Eren felt a cool hand on his shoulder but didn't flinch this time, "In through your nose and out through your mouth, good love, that's really good". Hearing Levi's constant stream of words was helping him calm down, he could feel that sharp edge of panic fading, receding back inside him and he filled his mind with Levi's voice, trying to drown out the other thoughts.

Levi had gradually moved in closer his hands moving slowly until they were wrapped around Eren's chest and as Eren's breathing started to even out Levi slowly moved his husband closer. Eren reached out desperately his arms enclosing around Levi's body and his head dropping on to Levi's shoulder, his breathing was all the better for being able to smell Levi's familiar scent and focus entirely on the warmth that came with the contact.

"That's really good, Eren" Levi continued to murmur, his hand coming up to rub soothing circles over Eren's back.

"Don't..." Eren croaked, his voice rough and shaky and not able to continue but he needed to get the words out.

"Don't what?" Levi whispered softly.

"Mika... d-don't let her g-go" Eren rasped, he scrunched his eyes closed and went back to focusing on breathing.

"I won't... your sister isn't going anywhere" Levi promised and as Eren continued to draw in deep breaths and slow his heart rate down he heard Levi direct his voice to someone else, his hands keeping up their constant movement on his back, "will someone care to explain to me why my husband is having a panic attack?" he said sharply, Eren whimpered at the tone so Levi went back to soothing him.

"My fault" Eren muttered but he felt Levi shake his head.

"It's never your fault" Levi soothed but it was Eren's turn to shake his head.

"Mika... she knows" Eren croaked and felt fat tears roll down his cheek and soak Levi's top, before Levi could ask Eren spoke again in a broken voice, "my father".

"Fuck" was all Levi said but his hand didn't stop it's slow circles and he didn't move Eren away from his body, "Petra? Go take over my class, I'm sure they're already slacking... Hange, you need to fuck off right now and take Kirstein with you. I don't want to hear it just go. Your highness, you'll stay right where you are".

Eren glanced up from Levi' shoulder long enough to realize they'd had a bit of an audience, he grimaced and buried his head back in Levi's shoulder after he'd seen all of them but Mikasa leave.

"Your Highness, follow us up to our rooms- we need to talk" Levi said firmly, Eren didn't hear Mikasa's answer but as she wasn't moving he guessed she'd just nodded, "Eren? Can you walk?" Eren nodded against Levi's shoulder and Levi shifted into a crouch to help him stand, with one arm curled protectively around Eren's waist they made the slow walk back to their rooms with Mikasa trailing after them completely silent.

"Never a quiet day for us, huh?" Levi murmured as he opened their door and made their way into their rooms, Eren huffed softly at the words but didn't say anything instead letting Levi settle him on the lounge and wait for the familiar warmth to return. He watched silently as Mikasa sat in the armchair opposite and Levi folded himself onto the lounge beside Eren, he didn't look at Mikasa but stared at Eren, checking him over to make sure he was OK.

"I'm sorry, Eren" Levi whispered again and Eren peeked up at him curiously, "I know you didn't want to tell her... I'm sorry I pushed you too, I didn't know this would happen".

Eren shook his head and pulled in a deep breath, "It's OK... I didn't really tell her she- she guessed first" Eren answered quietly.

"You- you knew?" Mikasa asked sharply, her voice was directed at Levi. Eren looked at his sister and saw the thinly veiled fury back on her face and shifted closer to Levi, he didn't like Mikasa being so angry, she was usually so calm and steady.

"Of course I knew" Levi answered swiftly, his hand coming up and holding tightly to Eren's to offer support, "Eren is half the reason this alliance even exists, we wanted peace but we also wanted Eren away from your father and this marriage was the way to do that. Did you honestly think there was no other way to make an alliance between our countries work?"

Mikasa stiffened at his words, her eyes widening as she put the pieces together, "I did- I argued with father about it... I argued for days that there were other ways- ways that would keep Eren at home... with me".

"They arranged it this way in order to protect your brother, Brzenska, Pixis and Dok- they worked hard to get your brother out of there and to us, to where his mother grew up, so that he would be safe and maybe find some happiness" Levi said, his voice steady but firm.

"Father... he never told me why" Mikasa whispered, her voice stricken, "he just said you refused to have an alliance any other way- that Trost would not agree to anything but a marriage alliance... father didn't complain- he was happy about it... I thought he was happy about peace but-".

Levi nodded, "he was happy about peace but he was also very agreeable in letting Eren go... he didn't want Eren in Maria anymore... and this way for him was win-win". Eren closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, everything in his life had been going well- he was finally happy- he hated being reminded how much his father despised him. Levi was rubbing his back again knowing how much his words were hurting Eren but knowing they needed to be said- Mikasa should know about this.

"I'll kill him" Mikasa growled, the anger coming back in full force, Eren stiffened at the tone but Levi was steadily murmuring words to him again keeping him calm.

"When the time comes, I'll help" Levi replied, his voice dripping with hatred for a moment, "but it's not time yet, the alliance is still fresh and obviously there are people who are still against it. We can't have a new Queen on top of that- not with everything so unsteady- it'll cause upheaval for both kingdoms not to mention put both you and Eren in danger. For the moment things need to stay as they are and maybe after the baby is here and the alliance is strong enough to support you... we can make a move then".

"He was hurting Eren" Mikasa seethed not seeming to care about alliances and timing.

"I know" Levi answered, "but Eren is here now and your father can't hurt him anymore... we've made sure of it. We need both kingdoms to be behind you when you become Queen and we need the baby to be here as he or she will be another heir to the throne until you have your own children". Mikasa was still seething with anger but Eren saw she was thinking now, her anger at their father fading slowly in favor of making plans to make him disappear entirely.

"We don't need to wait long" Mikasa said slowly and Levi narrowed his eyes as she spoke, listening carefully, "after the baby is here there will be another legitimate heir behind Eren, the baby will be half of Maria and half of Trost which should be enough for uniting the people- my father will become unimportant... he doesn't really have that much support anymore. People are looking to me more often than him, even his adviser's try to come to me first, I think that we can make a move on him after the baby is here and the royal line is secure".

"We will make it look like your father is incompetent" Levi agreed, Eren just listened to them in silence, his chest tightening as he realized the danger of what they were talking about.

"If you'll allow us, Armin and I can work out the details" Mikasa said, "he is really quite devious... but, oh-"

"He knows" Eren whispered, Mikasa and Levi looking at him quickly, "I think he guessed when he was here".

"I agree" Mikasa whispered, "he hasn't been very good at hiding his emotions now I think of it... he'd been very sharp with father recently".

"We can discuss this later" Levi said and turned to Eren, "I have to go back to training, will you be alright?" Eren nodded but didn't let go of Levi's hand yet, he wasn't sure whether Mikasa had calmed down completely.

"It's OK, Eren, I'm here" Mikasa said softly and Eren looked at her, she wasn't completely calm but her fury had been replaced with guilt and worry, she stood up from the armchair and knelt by him taking his hands away from Levi.

Levi placed a soft kiss on his forehead and murmured, "I'll be back for lunch" before walking out of the room.

There was silence between them for a moment before Mikasa dropped her head onto Eren's lap and took in deep breaths, "I'm so sorry, Eren, how could I have not seen it?" she whispered roughly.

Eren ran a hand through her hair and whispered, "I didn't want you too... he wasn't good to me but he loved you and I- I didn't want you to have to choose". Eren swallowed the truth of what he had felt- he hadn't wanted to see her choice in case she chose their father.

"Eren, I would have chosen you in a heartbeat" Mikasa said, hearing his unspoken words anyway, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at him, "I love you and I should have protected you better".

"It's OK" Eren breathed and somehow the words weren't a lie, "I'm here now with Levi and I have family and friends and I feel safe now... father isn't allowed near my baby so we'll be protected by that".

"I'm so sorry" Mikasa breathed out again, tears running down her cheeks, she knew she had missed something terrible and no matter what Eren said she would never forget that... she could make it better though. She could do her best to remove their father from their lives forever.

She couldn't fix Eren's past but she could damn well make sure he was safe from now on.

 

 


	38. Make It To Me

Despite all odds, life at Trost Military base went on as normal. Well, as normal as it ever was there.

Before Eren knew it a month had passed, Levi's leg had healed completely and he was back to his normal routine of training recruits and working out. Historia had really started to show and was completely outfitted with a new wardrobe to accommodate her growing stomach, both Eren and Levi made sure to make time to see her each day and she regaled them with stories and updates of what their baby was up to. The baby hadn't started moving enough for them to feel it but Historia told them how she could feel flutters in her stomach and was sure the kicking would start soon and she would get to them whenever it happened.

She looked happy with her life if not uncomfortable at times, Eren had asked her plenty of times if Ymir had started talking to her again but all he got in reply was a sigh and shake of her head. Apparently Ymir, although smitten with the blonde, hadn't made an effort to try and befriend her again, Eren thought she must still be hurt from not knowing why Historia was here to begin with but unfortunately there was not a lot he could do to fix it. It was up to Ymir and Historia to make amends.

Eren couldn't help but feel a little easier knowing Ymir and Historia hadn't made up, he didn't know how much he'd like having the two together with Historia still pregnant with his kid. Whenever he thought it though he felt terrible knowing that the two young women just wanted to be happy and he never wanted to come between them but he couldn't help feeling protective over his child and Historia and not liking the idea of more complications. He thought it probably for the best to wait until she had the baby and then the girls could work out their issues then.

It was also time for Mikasa to head home, she had honestly stayed much longer than she should have and they were starting to hear rumors of their father and some inappropriate behavior and bad decisions back in Maria. Eren had finally relented over the last month and in bursts of courage had told his sister little pieces of information about his life and his relationship with their father, Mikasa always responded the same way- angry scowl, fiery eyes and a sense of danger coming off her in waves. But she never interrupted and always calmed down quickly if only for Eren's benefit, she was furious though with each new story she heard and Eren was a little scared what she would do when faced with the man himself.

In the last month they had spent nearly every waking moment together, catching each other up on their lives and work and talking endlessly about the future. After Levi had been back at work a week Eren finally managed to arrange a guard so that he could return to his work in progress building in town. Mikasa accompanied him for extra protection but mostly because of her serious interest in what Eren had planned, she had wandered through the building, smiling softly while Eren babbled about his plans and running her hands over the walls and surfaces.

She fell in love with the place instantly, the old rooms and creaky floors and Eren's excited voice filling every space, it felt right and comfortable and she knew how much it would mean to Eren to continue his mothers work. She had been a little dubious when she had first heard his plans but being there with her brother had completely changed her mind and now she couldn't think of a better place for Eren to be.

On quiet nights when Mikasa joined them for tea in their rooms they would discuss Grisha at lengths, Levi with a protective arm around Eren's shoulder and Mikasa's eyes narrowed in deep thoughts. They had come up with some strategies but there was very little they could do but talk until Grisha tried to make a move or their baby was born safely- there was too much at risk to do anything sooner.

The conversations always left Eren with a headache and a hollow feeling in his stomach, he was much too young to be discussing overthrowing a king but he knew in his heart it was right. His father was unbalanced and dangerous and Eren knew Mikasa would be an exceptional Queen, she would never stop trying to help people and better the lives of everyone plus she would have a much better relationship with Trost than their Father had. Having her brother and niece or nephew living in Trost would give her reason enough to do all she could to keep peace between the kingdoms and keep trade and commerce running smoothly.

Despite the awful reality with his father and the feeling that something big was coming Eren put most of the thoughts out of his head and enjoyed being with his sister. She had promised to return when the baby was born and that if at all possible she would bring Armin along as well, those were the thoughts that kept Eren smiling. Mikasa was completely obsessed with the baby and Eren watched in wonder as she talked non stop about the kid for hours, Eren had never expected her to get quite so excited but he was thrilled all the same as he listened to her try and suggest baby names.

Eren never mentioned to her that they'd already picked a girls name, he didn't want to stop her happy ramblings but he also felt like it was a secret between himself and Levi, something only the two of them were allowed to know. It was something that was theirs completely and like with the baby's room it helped them feel a little more of a connection to a baby they didn't have constant contact with.

But eventually time passed and Mikasa sighed and told Eren she would have to go back to Maria soon, she was needed at home to keep their father in order and to help oversee the Kingdom. She didn't want to leave and Eren didn't want to let her go, it had been an amazing 6 weeks despite having started with a rescue and involving a lot more truths than Eren had initially wanted to share. It had helped, though, sharing with Mikasa- he felt lighter and easier knowing his sister and best friend knew the truth about his life and that they were truly happy for him now he was here.

It was a cool crisp morning when Mikasa and her guards finally departed, Levi had given his morning class to Eld in favor of going down with Eren to farewell the royal party. They three of them stood a little distance from the majority of people, Mikasa's guards having made friends with the Trost soldiers and feeling quite at home on the base. Mikasa had Eren in a tight embrace, her arms curled protectively around him and her body crushed to his own- Eren only tried to hug her tighter. Levi stood a little behind them watching sadly, he knew how much Eren would miss his sister and his heart felt the loss for his husband, he himself had grown to like the young woman. She was calm and controlled and on occasion had shown a dry sense of humor similar to his own but most of all she loved Eren fiercely and that in itself was enough to make Levi like her.

Eren pulled himself back from Mikasa slowly and she looked him over offering him a small, genuine smile.

"Take care of yourself, OK? No falling off horses or getting attacked, alright?" Mikasa said with somehow the same amount of love as well as threat in her voice

"I'll try but you know I don't try and hurt myself" Eren answered with a soft smile.

Mikasa just attacked him with another hug and whispered, "I know, little brother".

She stepped back again and this time turned her steely gaze to Levi, Levi only met it patiently and waited for her to start in on the lectures and warnings. She never did though, surprisingly she just took a couple of steps forward and wrapped Levi up in an awkward but solid hug.

"Uh..." Levi said, his thin eyebrows raised in confusion and Eren snickering a few steps away.

Mikasa pulled back and actually smiled at him, "It was nice seeing you again Levi, I really enjoyed being able to get to know you better... I think I may actually miss your company".

Levi snorted at that and Mikasa smirked, "OK, maybe not that much but I do mean it when I say that I'm sorry to go... you two have a really nice life here together".

Levi, deeply surprised and still in quite a bit of shock, managed to return the smile, "You as well, Mikasa, I know you'll be missed around here, Eren and I especially".

Mikasa nodded and then turned back to Eren whose lip was beginning to tremble, she just wrapped him up in another hug and whispered in his ear, "Love you".

Eren nodded and murmured the words back while his sister let him go and pushed him gently towards Levi, Levi met him halfway and pulled Eren in close to his body winding his arm around his waist hoping to provide a little comfort.

Mikasa smiled at them fondly, rejoined her group and mounted her horse, with a backward glance at them she called out, "I'll see you soon anyway... the baby will be here in a few months and I wouldn't miss it for the world".

She waved at them happily, Eren and Levi both lifting their hands to wave in return, and then she turned around and followed the other horses through the main gate and down the path that would eventually lead them back to Maria.

 

***

 

Levi just finished lighting the last candle when he heard the front door open and Eren's soft footfalls coming closer, he gave the room a cursory glance, winced at having gone so unbelievable soft and then walked out to meet Eren.

After Mikasa had left that morning Eren had needed to clear his head and do something useful and time consuming, he had finally decided to go into town and spend the whole day doing physical labor in repairing his building. It had been a productive day for him but tiring and now, more than anything, he was ready to dropped into bed and sleep for an entire day.

Levi stopped as he left the bedroom and saw Eren making his way over to him, he looked exhausted- smile drooping and hair mussed and covered in dirt from head to toe. Levi frowned slightly not happy that Eren had probably overexerted himself today but then again completely expecting Eren to come home like this- there was something relaxing about aching muscles and weary bones after a long, stressful day.

Eren met his eyes and offered a small smile, Levi just walked forward and kissed him softly and quickly on the lips before taking his hand and pulling him forward.

"Levi?" Eren asked quietly but stumbling along behind him anyway.

"Come on, love" Levi replied softly only tightening his hand around Eren's and leading him into the bathroom.

"What are we...oh" Eren said and trailed off with a sigh as he stopped beside Levi, "are those candles?"

"Yeah" Levi replied, knowing the tips of his ears were growing red at Eren's soft voice.

"Where did you even get that many candles?" Eren asked in quiet awe, his eyes locked on the blazing room.

"I stole them from storage" Levi admitted and Eren laughed lightly.

"You stole me candles?" Eren asked pulling his eyes from the lights and focusing on Levi, "you stole me an absolute fuckton of candles".

Levi shrugged but felt the warmth in his chest as Eren smiled at him brightly, Levi just moved forward and placed his hands on Eren's shoulders underneath his coat and slowly pushed it off his shoulders. Eren stayed still and let Levi carry on around him, unbuttoning his shirt and letting it fall to the ground, kneeling on the ground to unlace boots and throw them into the corner, sliding socks off and moving on to pants to pull them down swiftly and disregard them entirely. Eren only shifted slightly as Levi raised his headand began trailing kisses up Eren's thigh and over his hipbone, hands steady on Eren's waist. Eren was sighing in pleasure, his eyes closed and his hand threading gently through Levi's hair while Levi stood up slowly and kissed Eren firmly on the mouth. 

"It should still be hot" Levi murmured and motioned to the bath, Eren wasn't all that interested in the bath though more intent on kissing Levi and removing his clothes. Levi gave in pretty easily letting Eren undress him in languid motions and pausing much too often to kiss his skin.

"Bath, love" Levi managed after Eren had removed all his clothes and they were standing in the centre of the room exchanging lazy kisses and soft smiles, Eren huffed a little at being interrupted but laced his fingers through Levi's and stepped over to the bath, slowly sliding into the warm water and making sure Levi followed him in. Levi positioned himself behind Eren so that the brunette could relax and rest his entire body against Levi's, which he did as soon as Levi shifted his legs so they encircled Eren's body and moved his arms to wrap around Eren's chest, hugging him close.

He heard Eren let out another contented sigh and couldn't help but smile happily at what he had done, he had wanted to make Eren feel better about his sister leaving and hopefully distract him a little- and it seemed to be working.

"Thankyou" Eren whispered, his hand coming up to touch Levi's and grasp it tightly, "this is perfect". Levi smiled again but didn't say anything just let Eren rest his head on Levi's chest while Levi went about washing the brunette's hair and sliding a wash cloth over his body to clean any grime or dirt left over from the day. He only thought of getting out when the water started to cool and Eren was almost asleep in his embrace, it was ridiculous but Levi didn't want to move him, he looked so peaceful.

"Eren?" Levi whispered and Eren hummed in answer, "time to get out".

He got a low hum in reply but Eren didn't make any attempt to move, Levi sighed and pushed gently against him so that he could lift himself out of the water and then turn and almost completely lift Eren out as well. Eren stumbled a little and barely opened his eyes as he lifted his feet to step out of the tub and only to stumble and lean his entire body against Levi's letting the raven hold him up and keep him steady.

Without moving much Levi reached out and grabbed a towel from the rack, unfolding it and drying Eren down before draping it around his waist and tucking the end in securely. 

"Best husband ever" Eren murmured tiredly against him while Levi snorted softly and reached for another towel to wrap around himself.

"You want me to carry you?" Levi whispered honestly, not sure if Eren was actually too sleepy to make it all the way to their bed but the brunette was shaking his head softly and taking careful steps forward until the two of them reached the bed. Levi helped Eren up so that he lay on cool sheets, his hair still wet and marking the linen with water, Levi leaned over him and kissed his forehead.

"Be back in a minute" Levi murmured, he thought he heard Eren make a sound of protest but apparently he didn't have the energy to follow through. Levi smiled fondly and walked back to the bathroom to pick up their discarded clothes and put them in a basket, he emptied the bath and then blew out the candles. He returned to the bedroom and found Eren curled up on the bed with a sleepy smile on his face and his hand outstretched in the direction of the bathroom, Levi dried himself off found a pair of sweatpants to wear for himself and another pair for Eren and then moved back onto the bed.

"Roll over" Levi murmured with a firm hand on Eren's back so he could help Eren onto his stomach without much effort on the brunette's part, Eren rolled onto his stomach easily and helped lift his hips as Levi pulled pants over his legs and ass. 

"No sex?" was Eren's sleepy reply, he was only awake by loosest meaning of the word and Levi had to laugh at his priorities.

"Not tonight" Levi answered quietly but he shifted himself onto the bed and moved so he sat on Eren's thighs and leaned over the brunette, trailing kisses up his back and neck and whispering in his ear, "how about a massage instead?"

He only got a low moan in return and figured that was as good as a yes, he raised himself up a little and started kneading his palms and fingers into Eren's muscles, working slowly and deliberately down his back. Eren was pliable and soft under his hands and whenever Levi pressed in a little harder Eren let out guttural moans that had Levi smirking and continuing his way over Eren's muscles, his hands finding all of the knots and tension Eren held and slowly working them out.

It was relaxing for Levi, their room quiet and dark except for occasional sounds from Eren and the soft moonlight wavering in through their open window. He found himself at peace despite having so many things to worry about- he didn't know who was behind their attack, he didn't know if Grisha had plans moving against them, he didn't know if they would be successful in overthrowing the king and he especially didn't know what would happen after their child was born. But with Eren making happy, satisfied noises under him and the still room surrounding him he knew he didn't care right now- they were problems for tomorrow.

He knew Eren had drifted off as after an impressive roll of his palm into a sore spot Eren didn't make a sound, Levi smiled softly and moved off him so he could shift Eren around so his head was on a pillow and his body under blankets. Levi lay beside him enjoying the moment and not particularly wanting to sleep, he was happy soaking in the stillness broken only by Eren's even breathing. There was no one around and for once Levi could really appreciate how good his life had become- it didn't matter that he had a list of worries longer than their marriage certificate- he was fairly certain it was all worth it to have moments like this with Eren.

He didn't know when he actually fell asleep but he was woken abruptly by frantic knocking at their door sometime in the middle of the night, Eren startled next to him and sat up quickly, eyes scanning the room in panic.

"Door" Levi grunted trying to calm Eren down a little at having been woken so suddenly.

"Oh..." Eren sighed and ran a hand through still damp hair and then they heard a voice calling out through the door and walls that separated them.

"Eren? Levi?" it was loud enough for them to hear and recognize immediately.

"Historia" Levi said in shock, Eren went pale but jumped out of bed and ran to the door, Levi right on his heels. Eren pulled the door open quickly and looked out to see Historia standing there, her hand raised to knock again and her face flushed red.

"What's wrong?" Eren asked sharply and Historia frowned, only to realize both Levi and Eren were in panic mode at her sudden appearance in the middle of the night.

"Oh, shit, no there's nothing wrong" Historia said gently, letting a curse slip out in her rush to reassure them.

"Then what-" Levi started but stopped when he noticed the blonde grinning.

"Here" she said quietly and reached out to grab Levi's hand and bring it to her stomach, resting just to the left and close to her waist. Levi was silent and confused until he felt something move, a little bump against his palm that had his eyes going wide and a smile stretching over his face.

"Is that?" he whispered in shock and Historia was nodding.

"Your baby's kicking" she answered happily. Eren gasped beside them and soon enough there was another palm pressed against Historia's stomach, Levi having felt the kick first lifted his hand and rested it on top of Eren's moving it to the place he had felt the kick before. Eren gasped again and Levi knew he'd felt it too, Levi looked over and saw Eren staring at his hand in amazement.

"She's kicking" he whispered in awe and Levi could only nod in agreement.

"She?" Historia asked with amusement.

"Oh, yeah" Eren answered with a blush, his hand not moving from her stomach, "I think she's a girl".

"Really? Is it just a feeling or-?" Historia asked and Eren actually laughed.

"No, it's just we picked out a name for a girl so I'm really hoping" Eren answered, Levi rolled his eyes but couldn't help but be in agreement, Historia just raised an eyebrow at them.

"It was hard picking a name" Levi said, "I don't think we'd be able to decide on another one".

"Yeah, if it's a boy there's a good chance he'll have her name anyway" Eren said with a laugh and Levi snickered as well, Eren gasped again and Levi knew he must have felt her kick once more.

"I think she know's her daddy's are here" Historia murmured happily and Levi and Eren looked up in confusion, "she hasn't kicked that hard yet".

Levi glanced at Eren and grinned, Eren grinned back and moved his hand so Levi could feel again. As soon as his hand was pressed into Historia's stomach he felt it again, once, twice and a third time before the movements stopped.

Levi was still grinning and couldn't help leaning in and whispering, "it's nice to meet you, too".

 


	39. Be Prepared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold onto your pants for this one *i'm really sorry*

"She's moving so much now" Eren said happily with one hand firmly on Historia's very large stomach.

"Yeah, it's strange but it's only around you and Levi she does that" Historia answered, she sounded tired and Eren knew she must be having trouble getting to sleep. She was 7 months along now with only 8 weeks left until her due date- a fact that neither Levi or Eren were able to forget easily.

They were sitting under a tree, resting in the shade and watching as Levi trained the cadets- Eren's friends were coming close to the end of their first year and were very excited to no longer be the youngest and freshest recruits on the base. They had followed a routine in the last two months when Eren stayed on base, he and Historia sharing this spot for the first few hours so that Eren could spend time talking to his kid and getting updates on how Historia was faring.

Levi would join them at lunch and the three of them would usually eat together so that Levi had time to be around his kid too and even if they didn't talk about the baby or about Historia it was nice to be together, a chance for them to have a little contact. Eren thought it should have been more awkward than it was but with his own cheery attitude, Historia's kindness and relatively open nature and Levi's firm but blunt tone it worked surprisingly well for them.

They had forced themselves to get over any initial awkwardness at the beginning and were a lot more open now to ask Historia questions and give her answers in turn. They had also tried to restrain themselves from touching her stomach whenever she said the baby kicked but after the first few times Historia just grabbed their hands forcefully and rolled her eyes offering an open invitation.

On the days Eren went into town to work on his building Levi would most likely be locked away in his office under mountains of paperwork for half the day before pleading insanity and storming off to find someone to spar with. Eren was working non stop on refurbishments and with the help off his friends on their days off and lots of volunteers from town he was making decent headway, he was actually starting to believe the Agency would be in decent shape before the baby was due.

He was managing to become very friendly with people from town as well, they had been wary of him and his ideas at the start but as Eren started hiring local tradesmen for work and talking and laughing easily with them others began coming over. It had started as mere curiosity- they wanted to see the Marian Prince their Captain had married- but after they had watched him awhile some of the more adventurous people had stepped forward to try and talk to him.

They were surprised at Eren at first- he looked way too young to be married and expecting a kid- but soon enough they became comfortable and before long Eren had quite a few people volunteering their services in order to help him finish. He of course offered to pay them but most of the time only the contracted tradesmen would take his money, the others refusing with warm smiles, so instead he brought huge serving of food down with him whenever he went so that he could share that if nothing else.

He was becoming beloved by the little town outside of the Military Base and the days he made his way into town he would get friendly waves and shouts of hello from a lot of the people. When Eren told Levi about it he wasn't really surprised, he couldn't imagine anyone who wouldn't like Eren if given the chance to meet him properly and with the young man building something in their town that was both a little mysterious and would only help to bring in trade their was nothing they could really say against him.

It was only when Levi accompanied Eren into town one day that he really understood though, he watched in awe as people called out to them and children waved and smiled and ran after their horses for a few meters. He watched as they arrived at the building ready to start on painting the interior walls only to have no less than 15 people approach and offer to help, women with older children ready to go in old clothing, older men long out of work smiling and picking up paint brushes and even some men and women of his own age wanting to help on their days off. It was astounding to Levi but as Eren grinned at their enthusiasm he couldn't really be too surprised.

The inside was mostly done by the time Historia reached the 7 month mark and they were heading into the last two months, the floors had been fixed and the building made secure, the walls painted on the inside and even the exterior of the building had been finished so that it looked new. There was no furniture yet and Eren hadn't even been approached by potential clients but it didn't matter- with the help of so many volunteers he was a lot further along then he expected to be at this point and he couldn't help thinking it was meant to be.

He still had a lot of paperwork to set up, much more reading to do and so many people to talk too about what exactly he was going to be doing but at this point he had a fair idea. He knew where he wanted to go and would talk endlessly about it at night to Levi with fire in his eyes and an excited grin on his face. Levi had to restrain himself from kissing Eren when he started in like that- he looked so passionate and alive it never failed to turn Levi on and more often than not Eren's rambling would be cut off with fierce kisses and strong hands pushing him back onto any available surface, pinning him down and having his way. 

Not that Eren minded, he had worked out pretty quickly what he was doing to his husband and even though he got carried away in excitement whenever he mentioned the future of his Agency he would always respond eagerly when Levi caught him up in fervent kisses.

Their lives had turned utterly domestic and in the absence of any attacks or upheaval they seemed to grow a little complacent, never completely relaxed as Levi would never be able to manage that, but they started to hope. They hoped that in the peaceful time since the attack the person responsible had changed their mind or given up and that they would be left alone to continue their little piece of happiness but unfortunately something always happened to shake up their lives.

This time it arrived in the form of Erwin Smith.

"Your Highness, may I have a word?" 

Eren looked up from his spot and took in the Commander, he seemed casual enough in demeanor but with the Commander Eren could never really tell the level of seriousness. He nodded at Erwin and stood up slowly so as to not wake Historia, they had been sitting out here for about an hour now and a little over twenty minutes ago the girl had finally nodded off.

The pregnancy was exhausting her, her ankles swollen and her back aching and the baby constantly kicking, so any moment of sleep she could catch Eren was loathe to take it from her. He managed to stand up and step away without waking her but before approaching Erwin he went to a soldier posted a few meters away.

"Officer Henning, right?" Eren asked and the man nodded.

"Yes, You Highness" Henning replied.

"It's just Eren... and I was hoping you could watch over Historia until she wakes up, she finally fell asleep and I don't want to wake her but-" he turned and gestured at Erwin waiting for him.

"Of course Your- uh, Eren" Henning answered.

"Thankyou" Eren said and then walked over to Erwin.

"Commander, I didn't expect to see you down here today" Eren greeted, he made sure his voice was steady but he didn't think he managed to leave out the curiosity in his tone. He never knew what to make of Erwin Smith and after all the dealings he'd had with the man he still couldn't figure out if he liked him or not, he respected him definitely but like was something altogether different.

"Eren, I was actually wondering if you'd take a walk with me, I needed to stretch my legs and I thought it was about time we had a proper conversation" Erwin said calmly, his voice cool and restrained. They walked for awhile in silence, Eren not wanting to break it or even knowing how, he was waiting for Erwin to begin so he could find out what the man was after.

It was 5 minutes before Erwin finally spoke, "I believe I owe you an apology".

"What?" Eren didn't have time to steady his voice, the shock of those words spitting the words out before he had a chance.

Erwin just huffed a little laugh and continued, "an apology, Eren, I wanted to apologize for our first few interactions and my asking you to report on your marriage to me". 

This was not what Eren had expected, he had almost entirely forgotten Erwin had asked him and Levi to report on their relationship, in fact, it had been months since they'd even attended a meeting with the Commander and even longer since they'd talked about their relationship with him.

"Oh, uh, thankyou sir... it's not really necessary though, I mean we don't even report to you any more" Eren said honestly and then bit his lip wondering if this was the Commanders way of getting them to continue those god awful meetings, he never thought he'd blushed as much as he had in the Commanders office.

"Eren, I want you to understand that it may have been necessary but I never liked prying into your personal life or Levi's... it was never my intention to make your life here harder and I wanted to apologize if it ever came across that way" Erwin continued his tone clear and sharp but it rang with honesty and a little part of Eren was leaning towards liking him better.

"It's fine, sir, I think Levi has helped to make my life much easier than I imagined" he blushed as the confession came out but didn't regret it, it was the truth and he thought Erwin might like to hear that they were doing well.

"Yes, I've seen as much" Erwin said a little distracted but there was a faint smile on his lips, "how is Levi? The two of you have been very busy recently I haven't had much of a chance to talk to either of you".

"He's fine" Eren answered not able to help his voice turning fond at the mention of his husband but he didn't say much more not knowing Erwin's intention behind his words, he was a lot like Armin in that when he asked one question he was almost definitely asking something different.

"That's good" Erwin said not missing the change in Eren's voice, "how goes the renovations? I'm hearing good things".

"Yes, sir! Everything is going really well, there's still a lot of work to be done but I think the building itself is almost finished just the paperwork and decorating left now" Eren exclaimed getting instantly excited at the topic.

"That's excellent, Eren. Speaking of paperwork I need you and Levi to come visit me in the next few weeks to sort out a few things" Erwin said casually but his words made Eren stop, what paperwork? Surely there wasn't something wrong with the alliance or... no, please let nothing be wrong with anything surrounding their kid.

"Calm down, Eren, it's nothing serious just some precautions before the child is due" Erwin stated but he sounder kinder.

"Oh, OK, what kind of precautions?" Eren asked still nervous now that Erwin had mentioned the baby.

"Guardianship" Erwin answered briefly and Eren blinked.

"But that's me and Levi, right?" Eren said sounding both defensive and scared at the same time.

"Of course, Eren, I'm talking about precautions in case something were to happen to Levi and yourself, I thought you two would want to be the ones to decide who takes care of the child" Erwin spoke calmly, his voice steady and helping to calm Eren's nerves down a little.

"Oh, you mean if we both- both were to..." Eren muttered not able to really finish.

"If both you and Levi were unable to care for it I thought it necessary to have the proper paperwork taken care" Erwin said and met Eren's eyes, Eren nodded in agreement. Levi had a dangerous job where he could very well die any day and Eren had been in quite a few close calls in his life, and even if it were just an accident he'd want to know who would look after their child.

"Well, that would be Mikasa, I guess" Eren answered after a moment, "she's the only one I'd want but I'll talk it over with Levi".

Erwin frowned at his answer though and hummed in consideration, "naming your sister could cause a few problems, Eren".

"Problems?" Eren asked not entirely sure where Erwin was going.

"Yes, primarily the altered agreements on the alliance... Your sister can't leave Maria and the child would then live with her there which you've explicitly stated you're against" Erwin filled in.

And then it hit Eren like a ton of bricks.

"Oh, fuck! Fuck, no, oh fuck, fuck, fuck" Eren swore before turning and bolting away- back to the training grounds and towards Levi. Erwin watched him go, his eyes narrowed in curiosity over what the boy had figured out and wondering if it was the same thing he was thinking.

 

***

 

"Levi!" Eren shouted not able to calm down, there were so many thoughts rolling through his head he couldn't pinpoint one but he knew he'd figured something important out, something Levi had to know right away.

He had jumped the fence and was still streaking over to Levi when he realized everyone was watching him, Levi having stopped class and walked over and his friends stepping out of the ranks in worry.

"Levi- Levi- I need to- talk to you" Eren panted holding the stitch in his side and trying to catch his breath, Levi's hand was on his shoulder trying to calm him and he was murmuring soothing words to help him catch his breath.

"Class dismissed" Levi called out to the muttered whispers of his recruits, it was only 10 minutes until lunch anyway but Levi never let them leave early. After everyone had left, Levi led Eren over to a deserted bench and sat him down before crouching down in front of him and tilting his head in worry.

"Eren?" he asked softly and Eren looked up, his face pale and his eyes wide, the panic threateningly close to the surface.

"It was my father" Eren said, his voice quiet and disturbingly calm as he met Levi's eyes.

"What was your Father?" Levi asked going instantly defensive at the mention of Grisha Yeager.

"He organized the attack on us... it was him" Eren whispered, his hands starting to shake and his body trembling.

Levi shook his head, he didn't want to believe it- he couldn't understand a father attacking his son to actually try and kill him, "Eren, it wasn't him, how could he?" The look Eren gave him made Levi shudder and grip Eren's hands tightly in his own, Eren was frightened and completely overwhelmed.

"It was him... I was talking to Erwin" Eren whispered and Levi glanced up at the name of his Commander, if it had come from him there was a good chance it was true. "Erwin asked us to come to his office... to talk about precautions for the future in case- in case we were both to die" Eren continued, his trembling only made worse by the words he was saying.

"He asked me where our child would go then" Eren murmured, Levi was still a little confused but stayed quiet, he hated that their child was being brought up in this conversation.

"I said Mikasa would be the one to care for it" Eren finished hollowly and only then did it click for Levi.

"Oh fuck" he whispered instantly understanding, the same panic and dread flowing through his own body, "but- but your sister would never allow him to have contact".

"Not now" Eren murmured, "but before when we were attacked she didn't know... she would have let him".

"No, Eren, it can't be... why would he want to kill his own son?" Levi tried but he knew in his heart Eren was speaking the truth and Eren knew it too.

"I think he decided when he came to see us... he came trying to win and he didn't- we beat him at his own sick game for the most part except-" Eren continued.

"Except for the baby" Levi finished for him, Eren nodded.

"He must think I'm a lost cause now, he can't control me anymore" Eren said sadly, "I'm too involved with you, I'm st-stronger than before... but a baby?"

"He would have complete control over a child" Levi muttered.

"And with Mikasa and a baby he has no use for me as an heir... especially one he can't control anymore" Eren choked out.

"But what about the alliance? It would destroy all of that hard work" Levi said hopefully, grasping at straw.

"I think either he doesn't care... or that it's been in place long enough that if both of us were to die in a terrible accident maybe- just maybe both Kingdoms would work to keep it in place for us and for continued peace" Eren muttered his words striking through the last of Levi's hope.

"Fuck!" Levi cursed as the full impact hit him.

"He wants her... he wants our baby" Eren whispered, tears finally falling as his defenses gave way.

"He won't get her" Levi promised firmly moving to sit next to Eren and wrap him up tightly in a hug, "I promise I won't let that happen, if he wants her he _will_ have to get through both of us first".

"But he's trying... he's actually trying to get through both of us" Eren whispered in fright against Levi's chest.

Levi nodded but spoke steadily, "We'll be careful more now- we'll talk to Erwin and get a message to your sister... we'll prepare for every situation and if it comes down to it we'll name Erwin or Hange or some of your shitty friends to be the guardian".

Eren tried for a laugh at that but it came out a little gurgled because of the crying.

"We have a Treaty Agreement behind us that says he can't go near our child and that says she'll stay here in Trost... we have protection" Levi soothed, trying to calm both Eren and himself a little.

"He's still playing a game" Eren murmured, "he's trying to beat us for what we did last time".

"Well, it's a fucking sick game" Levi snarled.

"He-he's probably been think of ways ever since... with us dead I don't know how well our amendments will hold up against blood family... he may have a right to bring her to Maria" Eren muttered sadly.

"We won't allow it" Levi said firmly and then turned and pulled Eren up to look at him, "and we're not dying any time soon- we aren't letting this happen and I promise you we will both be there to see our kid grow up- your Father won't win".

Eren nodded and then a stricken looked crossed his face, "Oh god, what about Historia? Do you think sh-she's in on it?"

"Fuck..." Levi cursed and then stopped to actually think about that before he shook his head slowly, "I don't think so, it would be too unstable to have her know- much cleaner to keep her out of it and let her have a healthy baby".

"But my father could have something on her? What if he picked her out? What if she has a back up plan" Eren babbled panic rising again.

"Eren" Levi said softly trying to soother him, "she's pregnant, emotional and takes four naps a day even if she is a part of this there's not a lot she can do".

"You're right..." Eren breathed out and shook himself a little, "plus I don't think anyone could be that good a liar".

"We'll bring it up with Erwin and Hange but I think they'll agree" Levi said.

"Can we get someone to watch her though... just in case?" Eren whispered feeling the guilt rip through him at his words. Historia was his friend, she was carrying his child and he hated thinking badly of her as she had been nothing but kind to them but he couldn't help but feel it was necessary.

"Naturally" Levi agreed and sighed, "why then? Why did he go after us then?"

"I think it was _because_ of the timing" Eren said, he sounded calmer now but his voice was still rough, "he'd just found out about the baby, we'd just beat him in a game he thought he was going to win and Historia could still travel back to Maria without any problems".

"He was angry" Levi continued and Eren nodded, "furious we beat him... angry enough to try and kill us to win".

"He's fucking crazy" Eren whispered in tight voice, "he's completely unbalanced and I think we only made it worse by fighting him".

"It would make sense why he hasn't done anything else... it would have taken time for him to find out our fate and plan another step but with us on alert and the three of us on lockdown on base he couldn't touch us" Levi said testing out the thoughts to see how they sounded, whether it was just crazy or somehow possible.

"He knew the baby was going to be announced eventually and would have put those men on alert to attack- he would have known we'd have to have a public announcement... that's why no one else was hurt" Eren said playing along to Levi's thoughts.

"I don't think he'll do anything any time soon" Levi said as the idea came to him, Eren looked over at him curiously, "Historia can't possibly ride back to Maria now so she'll have to be here for the birth... and then the baby can't travel until it's at least a few months old".

"He _will_ be planning something though" Eren murmured and Levi could only nod in defeat.

"Time to talk to Erwin?" Levi asked and Eren nodded, Levi stood still holding firm to Eren's hand and slowly they made their way up to the Commanders office.

Whether it was soon or not until after their child was born they were certain Grisha had a plan... probably more than one plan but he'd been planning for months now and was going to strike again. 

This time they knew exactly what he was after though and neither Eren nor Levi would ever let that happen.

 


	40. Treasure

"Just five more" Levi called out as Eren pulled his body up of the ground and then slowly lowered it again, Levi could see how his arms shook slightly but he also saw the sheer determination on his face.

He was getting stronger adding more push ups each night, adding another lap when they ran, stopping less and less to catch his breath or clutch at a stitch. It may have started out as a distraction but it was working now, a way for both of them to forget what they had figured out a month ago and to maintain at least a semblance of normalcy for an hour or two.

Eren pushed up five more times before letting his arms collapse and his body hitting the ground softly, Levi smirked as he heard Eren groaning. Levi then slowly folded himself onto the ground next to Eren's limp body and ran his hand up and under Eren's shirt to rub at his back, quickly casting his eyes around to make sure there was no-one close by.

The entire training ground was empty and if Levi wasn't focused on the way Eren's back muscles relaxed under his touch or the little sighing noises he was making he may have thought it strange. As it was there were much nicer things to think about then the empty state of the military base.

Eren moved under his hand and casually rolled onto his side to face Levi, his hand propping up his head and a lazy smile gracing his features.

"You know you can't just start something like that" Eren teased, his eyes growing a little darker, "I hope you plan to follow through".

Levi didn't answer just moved in and kissed him thoroughly, Eren wobbled a bit and under the force of the kiss gave up on his position and let Levi roll him onto his back with his head falling softly onto the grass. Levi had a hand on either side of Eren's head, his mouth pressing into Eren's and his body moving swiftly so that he was hovering over Eren, their chests touching faintly and one of Levi's thighs slotted between Eren's legs and working to open them a little further.

They had started using sex as a bit of a distraction as well, a much better one than exercise, plus it had the added advantage of always making them happier afterwards if not a little exhausted. Levi had gotten over his complete dislike for PDA and was getting better at showing Eren affection in public, he still preferred to keep most of their activities for their bedroom or his locked office but on an evening like tonight with the sun setting in pink and orange hues and the only noise cicada's singing in the trees he really couldn't help himself.

He pulled back an inch to see Eren grinning up at him, his cheeks were flushed from their training and his skin glistening with sweat but Levi could only smile fondly and move back in to kiss him again, working Eren's lips open and pressing his tongue into the warm, wetness of Eren's mouth with increasing insistence.

"You going to follow through out here?" Eren breathed out as Levi moved to his neck, trailing kisses down the sun-kissed skin and nipping at his collarbone.

"Problem?" Levi whispered and Eren shook his head immediately.

"Anyone around?" Eren asked while moving his hands up to card through Levi's silky black hair and draw him in closer. Levi sighed out a breath but lifted his head to check again, no one on the training grounds, no one by the stable, no one- fuck. Levi grumbled and lowered his head to rest on Eren's, closed his eyes and tried to forget the hardness in his pants.

"Hange's coming" Levi grouched and Eren let out what could only be described as a whine.

"Seriously?" Eren grumbled but he didn't let go of Levi's hair and he made no move to push Levi off him, maybe Hange wouldn't see them and would just continue on her way... hopefully somewhere far away from them.

"Levi! Eren!" she called out and both of them groaned in frustration knowing there would be no sex on the training grounds anytime soon. Levi sat up slowly, a scowl settled into place and Eren followed doing an amazing impression of Levi when he was angry. They were half hard and horny and had absolutely no time or patience to talk with Hange.

But as Levi finally focused on her he saw she was almost running over to them, her face was pinched and worried and she wasn't phased by the fact she had caught them making out like teenagers. Levi stood up quickly and walked over to her quickly, instantly worried that something was wrong, Eren was close behind him having noticed the same thing.

"Hange, what's happened?" Levi asked roughly, thoughts going immediately to Historia and the baby, she was two weeks away from her due date but the midwife attending her said it could really be any day now. The midwife had been prepping them for the last few weeks that the baby could honestly coming at any time, all pregnancies were different and they shouldn't be surprised if she went into early labor. 

"We need you.." Hange said quickly but beforeLevi could get more out of her she had turned and bounded back to the building. Levi turned to Eren and saw his pale, drawn face, he was obviously thinking the same thing as Levi. 

Together they ran after Hange.

***

"Damn it, Hange!" Levi snapped as they ran after her, she had led them back into the main part of the building, passing the dining hall and the entrance to the barracks, the only thing in this direction was the common rooms... where Historia could be.

Eren hadn't said a word but was running right alongside Levi, keeping pace and staring forward with wide eyes. Hange kept going until they finally reached the hallway leading into the common room, there was no noise and not even a light streaming out from under the door and Levi started to let doubt mix in with the panic. What the fuck was going on?

"In there" Hange called out a touch too loud and pointed towards the dark room, Levi narrowed his eyes but did calm down a bit, he had a feeling he knew what he was about to walk in to. And he was also pretty sure he was going to kill Hange for it.

His first instinct was to take Eren's hand though, if the brunette hadn't figured out what was about to happen then he was probably going to freak out... Levi really had no idea how Eren handled surprises. It was starting to click in his own head though, the empty training grounds tonight and an increase in muttered conversation and nervous glances around him. Not to mention Historia had been avoiding them both for the last few days, she had passed it off as being tired but Levi wasn't convinced any more.

"Breathe" Levi whispered, Eren glancedover at him and noticing how relaxed the man was his own body seemed to calm down to match Levi's. Levi extended a hand and turned the door handle, they both took a step forward and Levi reached out to switch the light on.

"SURPRISE!" 

Levi didn't react. Eren however jumped out of his skin, his hand clutching tightly to Levi's and his heart pounding so hard that Levi could hear it from where he stood. Levi ignored the people in the room to turn and focus onEren and make sure he wasn't about to panic, he was pretty sure this kind of surprise went on Eren's list of 'please don't ever try this on me'.

As soon as the panic and surprise faded, Eren glared at Hange his face tensingup in annoyance before letting go of a deep breathe and rearranging his features so they were relaxed. 

"Shitty morons" Levi grouched and Eren let out a huff that was probably more relief than anything. They then finally turned to take in the room in front of them. 

It was completely decked out in pink and blue with balloons everywhere and people crowded inside, most were still grinning at their reactions but some of the quicker ones were smiling apologetically. 

"We threw you a baby shower!" Hange exclaimed and bounded up between them placing an arm around both of their necks pulling them towards her a little.

"You think maybe the surprise part was a little stupid?" Levi snapped, Hange looked confused but as she turned her head and took in Eren's look of fake relaxation she frowned.

"Oh, right... the attack. That was probably in poor taste then..." she said and offered Eren a guilty smile, "sorry, cutie".

"It's fine" Eren said, his smile returning a little and then growing as he took in the room and all of their friends.

"It's for the baby and for you two... and well, all of us kind of wanted a reason to throw a party" Hange said excitedly any guilt she may have felt fading quickly. Levi was scowling again, he didn't want a party tonight... he wanted to be _alone_ with Eren.

"Definitely a good way to kill a hard-on" Eren murmured, leaning into Levi so that only he could hear, Levi snorted but definitely had to agree with Eren.

"Come on you two, we can't start without the guests of honor!" Hange called out and took Eren's hand, effectivelydragging both ofthem into the room as Eren still had a tight hold on Levi's hand.

It looked like nearly everyone was in the room, all of the recruits and the soldiers, they were only missing those who were on patrol tonight and obviously couldn't attend. Levi spotted Erwin leaning against a wall with a satisfied smile on his face at Levi's obvious discomfort- Levi just flipped him off with a scowl. Petra, Eld, Gunther and Olou were gathered closer to the centre as if trying to be of some comfort to Levi, they were really the only ones Levi felt really comfortable with and he was actually pretty glad they were present.

Eren's friends were everywhere, he spotted Springer and Blouse standing by a table piled high with food, Leonhart, Braun and Hoover were standing against another wall trying to be discreet but the boys height not allowing it, Kirstein and Bott were near the front standing close together with Ymir hovering close by with an unreadable expression on her face.

And then little Historia, who really wasn't that little anymore, was sitting in an armchair in the centre of the room. She was smiling happily at them but she couldn't hide the exhaustion- it was 7:00 pm and in all honesty probably way past her socializing hour plus she looked really uncomfortable just sitting there. They had posted a guard to watch her in the aftermath of their epiphany but even for a pregnant woman, Historia was boring. When she wasn't sleeping she was reading or with Eren and Levi, she spent a lot of time with the recruits or just alone in her room resting but she never did anything out of the ordinary and within a week both Eren and Levi had been sure she wasn't an enemy.

"We have games and cake and so many presents!" Hange was babbling, Levi stopped taking in the room to look at his crazy friend. She probably hadn't gone about this in the right way or even at the right time but she was doing it for them and Levi was sure she only had good intentions behind it.

Levi had to take a deep breath and school his features into something less angry, Eren was grinning and excited, nobody was hurt and well, Hange had said there was cake.

"OK shithead, what's first?" Levi sighed resigned to his fate for the evening, Hange's face flicked with genuine surprise for a second before returning to glee in full force. She grabbed Levi's hand and hauled him into the middle of the room to push him onto a lounge with Eren trailing after them with a grin.

"Stay" she commanded, Levi just raised his eyebrow at her and restrained himself from flipping her off, it helped that Eren sat down next to him and grabbed his hand before he could move it. Levi watched as Eren leaned over to Historia, who was in the chair near theirs and whispered a soft 'how are you doing?' in her ear, she just smiled softly and shrugged.

"Now that our _lovely_ father's-to-be have joined us" Hange called out, a few snickers sounding at the word 'lovely' in connotation to Levi, "we can get started. First of all we have a book over there on the counter... now over the night I want everyone to write advice in it for Levi and Eren- they'll need it".

There were a few giggles at Hange's words but Levi couldn't find it in himself to get mad, it was actually a good idea for them and although he was sure he'd get stupid advice he was also willing to bet there would be some important stuff in there he had no idea about.

"Next we have a box next to the book" Hange continued pointing to a big, open brown box sitting on the counter, "that box is the reason I asked each of you to bring something important from this year... that box will act as a time capsule for the baby and of course for Eren and Levi so they don't forget anything from this year. Just place whatever you brought into the box with a note about what it is and who it's from at some point".

Levi was sitting in silent amazement, so far everything Hange had done sounded good, a time capsule for their kid was an amazing idea and something he never would have thought of, Eren was squeezing his hand in excitement as well which meant he was definitely pleased with how things were going.

"We have presents as well which we'll let you two open later and-" Hange started pointing at a table over the back piled high with presents before being cut off as the door opened. Rico Brzenska appeared and both Eren and Levi paled and stood up immediately but she just smiled at them and made her way over.

"Sorry to interrupt" she said while she pulled something out of her pocket, "Princess Mikasa and Armin both wanted to be here but unfortunately they were delayed... they said they would make it down to see the baby when it arrived but in the meantime I have a letter for you- I'd advise you to open it later, though".

She passed over a thick envelope to Eren who took it quickly and slid it unopened into his pocket.

"You're welcome to stay" Eren offered but Brzenska was shaking her head softly.

"It's been a long day" she said before Levi called over a soldier who could lead her to a room she could stay in, with quick goodbyes and a offer to eat with them in the morning, Brzenska left as quickly as she'd come.

"Alright, uh, back to the party?" Hange exclaimed, turning everyone's attention from the door and back to the party at hand, "for now everyone can just talk while I set up the first game!".

The next hour was a horror of sickening baby games that could have only been thought up by Hange, she had them stuffing balloons up their shirts to see who could look the most pregnant. Levi refused to play but Eren got crazy competitive only being beaten out by Kirstein by one balloon, Eren then proceeded to trip Kirstein in a display of obvious annoyance letting him fall onto the balloons and making the balloons pop much louder than Levi thought possible.

The boys had to be separated after that and Levi was snickering at Eren's muttered grumblings about a 'horse-faced asshole' that should 'just go the fuck back to Maria already'. Surprisingly everyone in the room was very willing to get involved in games, Levi happy to sit out with Historia and watch as everyone made idiots of themselves for increasingly stupid reasons.

When Brouse, Springer and Braun almost got into a fist fight arguing over who's baby photo belonged to whom Hange decided it was time to call an end to the games. The three recruits were separated, answers were given and a very happy Sasha was crowing to anyone who would listen that she knew the pudgy one was definitely Hange. Everyone had silently agreed not to comment on the picture they had dug up of Levi (Levi didn't even know how they had gotten that one) and move past the tiny raven-headed baby with bright eyes and a toothy grin.

Levi had seen Eren move quietly to the board and take the photo though, slipping it into his pocket next to the letter from his sister.  Once everyone was sat down and talking happily to their neighbors did Hange call out that it was present time much to Eren's delight and Levi's curiosity.  Petra was first, moving forward with a square shaped gift in hand and sitting on the coffee table opposite Eren and Levi and passing it over.

"Petra, you didn't have too... you've already gotten us enough" Eren said softly but Petra shook her head and pressed it into their hands.

"It's not much but we thought you two might like it... it's from me, Eld, Gunther and Olou" she said and smiled, Eren took it off her and found it was surprisingly heavy. He looked to Levi before carefully pulling the wrapping paper off it and letting a leather-bound album fall into his hands.

"Oh, Petra" Eren sighed as he ran soft fingers over the top and carefully opened it, it fell open and to Levi's surprise he saw the picture adorning the first page. It was them, with Levi raised up on his toes as he pressed their first kiss onto Eren's lips, they had their eyes closed and lips touching and for a moment Levi felt like he had traveled right back to that moment. It had been almost a year ago now but it felt like so much longer, like so much more time had passed since Levi had slid that golden band onto Eren's finger and promised to protect him for the rest of his life.

He was speechless as Eren turned the pages, photo after photo from their life, their first dance in the hall at Maria, Eren laughing with his friends in the common room, Levi training his recruits, Levi training Eren in the evenings, soft kisses caught on camera and quite a lot of Levi smiling as he stared at Eren. There were too many to count, filling up the entire book with happy moments from their life over the last year and catching little moments that Levi could barely remember now.

"How did you..." Levi tried but he was still in awe over the album.

"I didn't even know you were..." Eren tried to finish but he seemed to be just as speechless as Levi.

"It wasn't just me, we all took it in turns to follow you two a little and get some photos" Petra said and flushed pink, "we're sorry for invading your privacy but we thought you'd like something permanent from your first year together".

Unable to say anything Levi surprised everyone by standing up and pulling Petra into a hug, it was quick and a little awkward but the sentiment behind it was received and Petra was grinning.

"If I knew he'd react like that I would have given it to him" Olou grumbled into the silence that followed effectively breaking it and making everyone start laughing.

Levi just raised his eyebrows and stared at Olou in silence before saying with obvious surprise, "would like a _hug_ , Olou?"  That had everyone in stitches as Olou turned crimson and started stuttering out words that sounded a lot like 'no' and 'definitely not'.

Eren took pity on him though and walked forward with a happy grin before wrapping his arms around the man in a solid hug before saying cheerily, "Thankyou, Olou". Olou seemed to flush deeper and Levi had a weird urge to pull Eren back to his side but instead he watched as Eren circled around to Gunther and Eld and then back to Petra giving them all hugs and whispering earnest thank you's. 

And if when Eren sat back down next to Levi, Levi pulled him a little closer and took hold of his hand nobody said a word. The photo album was set aside with care and surprisingly Sasha and Marco were the next to approach, Sasha held a messily wrapped box covered in tape while Marco held a square shaped gift similar in size to the last one they had been given.

"Ours kind of go with your squad's" Marco said with a soft smile as he passed his over, Sasha was bouncing on her toes next to him as Eren took the gift.

"It's from all of us recruits... well, me and Marco, Connie, Ymir, Annie, Reiner and Bert" Sasha exclaimed as Eren unwrapped this one too. An identical album fell into his lap but as he opened it and they both looked inside they were surprised to find it completely empty.

"This is the second part" Sasha said, suddenly sounding nervous as she passed over the box. It took Eren a few minutes to get through the tape but when he did a camera box fell into his lap and he sighed in awe.

"You guys... this is too much" Eren whispered, Levi could make out the slight glistening in his eyes and knew that the thought behind these presents was getting to Eren.

"We wanted you two to be able to take pictures of your kid" Sasha explained and blushed a little, "Mikasa gave us some money before she left to help as well... she didn't want us to tell you that part, though..."

"It's perfect" Eren sighed and stood up immediately to crush Sasha in a hug before moving on to Marco and then the others, Annie even allowed a quick hug in thanks- not that Eren gave her much of a choice in the matter though.  When Eren sat down and Levi had finished thanking the surprisingly thoughtful young recruits, Jean shuffled over with a red face and a chewed lip.

"Jean" Eren greeted tensely and Levi smirked at the fact his husband was still holding a grudge against the young man for beating him in a stupid game.

"Yeager" Jean greeted and then thrust a parcel over to Eren and tried to busy himself by wringing his hands together. Eren narrowed his eyes with suspicion but turned to the odd shaped present and started to take off the paper, as soon as the paper fell away Eren actually did start crying. The moisture that had been edging its way out since the albums flooded out and soon enough Eren was crying silently while looking down at the thing in his lap.

Levi moved in instantly the moment Eren started to cry, shooting Jean a look that made the young man cower and retreat back a few steps, before Levi actually got a look at what was in Eren's lap. 

It was a stuffed teddy bear. It looked old and worn, the buttons on the eyes looked like they were stitched on with different thread and there were stitches lining around the joint of one arm but Eren held it so fondly Levi knew instantly it was his.

"Eren?" Levi whispered but Eren shook his head softly, not able to talk as he looked down at the bear and then up at Jean in such obvious shock that Jean just started talking, to fill in the silence through the room.

"We were clearing out your room" Jean started nervously, "and moving some of your things to storage... I was cleaning out the storage room when I found it. It was hiding under a lot of old clothes from when you were little and so I-I took it. I don't think I ever remember you being without it for years and thought you might like to, uh, to give it to your own kid... or just, you know, keep it yourself".

"I thought I lost it" Eren whispered as he ran a hand over the button eye with obviously different thread, "mum gave it to me when I was two... she fixed the eye when I was 8 and I lost it a month after she- she..."

"Fuck" Jean sighed at the new information, he hadn't quite known the significance of the old bear he was giving back to Eren and would have probably done it in a less public setting if he had. Eren just shook his head, passed the bear over to Levi and then went to hug Jean, his arms wrapped warmly around Jean's neck in what Levi was almost sure was the first hug between the two.

"Thankyou" Eren whispered softly before letting go of a very shocked Jean and sitting down again to take hold of the bear, Jean ran his hand through his hair before grinning in satisfaction and moving back to stand beside Marco.

"My turn!" Hange cried and broke the tense silence in the room, making everyone feel easier and Eren wipe the last of his tears away. Hange walked forward pulling Erwin with her and sitting on the coffee table and grinning at them.

"OK, so our gift is time" Hange said with a smirk and motioned to Erwin who was smiling softly.

"Time?" Levi asked confused while Hange just nodded.

"Erwin and I have worked out a way to give you the next 4 weeks off" Hange exclaimed, "we'll be taking over all of your paper work and have reorganized the training schedule so you're off".

"I'm off for the next 4 weeks?" Levi asked, not sure if he should be annoyed or happy.

"Yepp, we're gifting you two weeks to be with Eren before the baby gets here and another two after it's here" Hange exclaimed, those words making Eren and Levi blush crimson at the meaning behind them.

"We thought you two would appreciate some time alone before all hell breaks loose" Erwin commented dryly to the snickers and laughter of the rest of the room.

"Er, thankyou?" Eren offered, still red in the face and not meeting their eyes.

"No problem, cutie" Hange laughed, "just make the most of it".  There was laughter echoing around the room and whistles from more confident (or just well hidden) soldiers before Historia made a little noise and Eren and Levi turned their attention to her, she was blushing pink and had a parcel in her lap.

"Oh, Historia, you didn't need to get us anything" Eren sighed but the blonde only smiled and passed it over.

"It's not much but maybe... maybe open it later?" she said quietly, Levi raised an eyebrow at her but she shrugged, shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Eren just moved the unopened parcel beside the rest of the gifts.

More gifts followed and for the next twenty minutes they unwrapped endless amounts of clothes and bibs and little shoes, they got bottles and blankets and stacks of diapers as well as toys and rattles. A lot of people offered their services in babysitting as well but both Eren and Levi were unwilling to commit to that yet, once their kid was here they didn't they would be able to trust anyone else with them for awhile.

Finally they made it through all the gifts and the night was winding down, Historia had nodded off in her chair after giving her own present over and she just continued to sleep in restless bouts through the noise in the room. Hange was cutting up the cake and handing out pieces and Levi and Eren were just wandering around talking to people and thanking them for their gifts.

It was when they were having a conversation with Erwin that they heard it, the room went instantly quiet at the sudden high pitched squeak. Levi and Eren spun around, hearts thudding and eyes wide.

Historia was awake and clutching at her stomach, her breathing had turned sharp and her knuckles white as she gripped her shirt. She looked up and found Levi and Eren, her face white and a clear expression of fear crossing over it.

"Oh fuck" Levi and Eren whispered as she made another noise of discomfort before rushing to her side, Hange close behind them.

"Historia, sweetie, tell me what's happening" Hange said calmly as she took one of Historia's hands and felt her pulse.

"I thought it was the baby kicking" Historia whispered and let out a rattling breath as she closed her eyes and grimaced.

"How long has this been going on?" Hange ordered.

"Most of the night... I didn't think it was real... it's too early" Historia whispered, eyes flying open in panic at the reality, "I still have two weeks... it's too soon". Hange was quiet for a moment as she pressed her hands into Historia's stomach and frowned slightly.

"Too soon or not I think it's coming now" Hange said firmly, Eren grabbed Levi's hand tightly as Hange stood and tried to help Historia up, the blonde just bent over as another wave of pain ran through her not letting her move much.

"Erwin?" Hange called out, the tall commander strode over and in one movement had lifted Historia into his arms and walked out of the room with Hange rushing after them.

Levi watched them go in silence, Eren held his hand tightly but neither of them moved forward. They were in complete shock at what was happening, Levi had thought maybe they would have some alone time tonight that he would have Eren to himself, he had not expected a party and- and a baby.

"Fuck" Eren whispered again, Levi had a feeling that everyone was watching them but he could do nothing but nod in agreement to Eren's words.

It was Petra that finally snapped them out of it, she approached them with a furious look on her face and with much more courage than anyone at the base possessed she smacked both of them over the back of the head.

"Your kid is coming! Go!" she seethed.

Levi came back to reality quickly, sucked in a deep breath as what was really happening hit him and he took a step forward at the same time Eren did. Soon enough they were both running, out of the room, down the hall and after the shouts they could hear coming from Historia.


	41. Sky Full of Stars

"It's taking too long" Eren whispered, they could still hear the constant stream of shouts and cries from down the hall but as they weren't allowed inside they could do nothing but sit and wait. Well, Eren was sitting, Levi had been wearing a track into the floor over the last few hours and didn't look like was going to stop anytime soon.

"How can she keep this up... it's been hours" muttered Levi running his hand through his hair yet again.

"She's a lot stronger than me" Eren mumbled, "I think I would have given up hours ago". Levi nodded in agreement and kept walking, he was trying to simply distract himself from what was going on. They had been waiting for around 8 or 9 hours now with nothing but short updates from Hange to let them know everything was going fine- it was just taking a little long.

They had bouts of people coming to visit them as well, to bring them food or just check in, surprisingly Ymir was a constant visitor. She dropped in every other hour sometimes with a plate of food but mostly with just a pained expression and a need to make sure Historia was still OK. Neither Eren nor Levi really spoke much to anyone that came to see them way too overwhelmed with the cries echoing back to them and the fact that each passing minute showed no real improvement.

Eren couldn't focus on anything- it was some ungodly hour of the morning but he wasn't able to sleep and with Levi pacing around the room in his own silent panic Eren was completely stressed out. It was then he reached into his pocket looking for the photo he'd taken of Levi, he wanted something to focus on and couldn't think of anything better than a tiny, little Levi that was smiling and happy.

He pulled the picture out but something came with it and it hit him that in all the chaos he'd completely forgotten Mikasa's letter.

"Levi" Eren said sharply and Levi was by his side in a second and looking down, "I forget Mika's letter".

"Do you want to read it?" Levi murmured his eyes still flicking up every time they heard Historia's cries.

"What if it's bad? What if something terrible's happened?" Eren rambled his fingers running over the envelope and the unbroken seal on the back.

"Brzenska would have said if it was bad... it's probably just Mikasa and Armin outlining what their plan is for your Father" Levi answered softly.

"In that case I'm not sure I want to know" Eren whispered back, what if Mika planned to kill their father? There was no love loss between himself and his father but he knew Mika couldn't do that- it was too high a price and Eren wasn't willing to let his sister pay it. But in any case he was fumbling to break the seal and soon enough he was pulling out a three page letter addressed to himself.

_Dear Eren,_

_I hope this letter finds you well and not too stressed out about my niece or nephews arrival. I plan to try and visit by the end of the month in hopes that I can meet our new little family member and I'm trying my best to bring Armin along as well. But Maria isn't stable at the moment and I fear any departure on mine or Armin's part could only prove detrimental to our Kingdom._

_Father isn't well, he's become obsessive and increasingly angry- I've see him lash out at servants and even on occasion his advisers. I don't wish to unsettle you but I think that he has been planning something bad- he locks himself in his study and won't allow anyone in - leaving me to effectively rule in his place. It is working in a way to help me gather support from our people which I'll need very soon in order to overthrow him and take the Crown for myself._

_I must admit that it's so much sooner than I'd like and that if I had a choice I wouldn't even be Queen but I know how selfish that sounds and even as I write it I want to erase those words. You and I have had so much responsibility thrown at us in our short lives and even though I know it's for the best and that I can be a good Queen in Father's place I still wish for more time._

_But it's a girlish wish and I feel silly for writing to you about it when I know you've been through worse. I know how much you care for Levi and that you are excited for your baby but I know in my heart that a year ago you were in my place and wishing and praying for a little more time before your life changed for good. I have faith though that if you can have happiness in a life that you didn't choose than I can do the same. I will be happy as Queen of Maria and be content in knowing our people are better off with me than with Father._

_And I hope that one day soon we can have peace between our Kingdoms without Father. I can't seem to wish him dead but I need him gone, I cannot stand to look at his face anymore and know what he's done to you and it takes all of my strength not to hurt him any chance I get. Armin and I have a few ideas in place to try and get him to abdicate voluntarily and pass the crown onto me- it seems though that all of these ideas include blackmail or force and a certain level of danger for ourselves._

_I don't think Father is in the right mind to think clearly and consider his options, he has only a few emotions these days and they seem to be angry, furious and downright violent. It's getting a little out of hand and I fear that he is focusing all of his aggression on you and your family- I'm trying to discover what he's doing and what his plans are but it's difficult. He doesn't speak to me much anymore and I don't care to speak to him either but with such a gap in our relationship he won't let his guard down around me- I think he knows that I would choose you in a minute._

_That I would choose you over him, over Maria, over anything really and I'm trying desperately not to let him get to me._

_There is something else as well, he has mentioned it a few times but I fear he means to follow through. He has been talking of your visit to bring your son or daughter to Maria for a month, as Armin said, Father is not allowed contact but at this point I'm honestly not sure he will comply and I fear he has plans in motion for when you arrive._

_Please try and avoid coming to Maria for as long as possible- Armin and I hope to gain enough support from the Marian people to allow me to take the throne but it won't happen quickly. We've approached Pixis, Brzenska and Dok like you and Levi advised and I think we may have a way to overthrow Father without killing him or endangering the alliance. Armin is very clever and believes that if we move in this direction I could be on the throne in less than a year._

_It's very dangerous though and I promise we will talk it over completely when either Armin or I or both of us are finally able to visit you. I know I write this in vain but please don't worry yourself too much over Father and just focus on the beautiful little baby you will have very soon. There is nothing you can do and besides Armin and I, as well as Pixis, Dok and Brzenska are handling things here and I do honestly believe that Father isn't planning anything anytime soon. He is still quite obsessed which means he hasn't figure things out yet and we are all keeping a close eye on him._

_I'm sorry for rambling on and I know this letter probably only raised more questions but I do promise as soon as we are face to face I will answer everything you want to know._

_Anyway, if this letter gets to you after the baby arrives give him or her a kiss from me and tell them I love them dearly and am working on keeping them safe._

_I love you, little brother, stay safe!_

_Lots of love, Mikasa_

 

"Well, that's, uh..." Eren started as he stared at the letter, Mikasa's words swirling around in his head. He had no idea where to start, one moment she was telling him it was too dangerous and the next telling him not to worry.

"Not exactly comforting" Levi finished and let out a huff of breath.

"Not really... but at least they have a plan and they're working it out" Eren breathed out, instantly doing the exact opposite of what they'd asked and focusing on being worried about his sister and friend. They heard a particularly loud cry from the hall and both of them winced, Eren sighed and folded up the letter taking a fond look at the photo he had pulled out with it and then returning both to his pocket.

"Think about it later?" Levi asked quietly and Eren nodded. Waiting for his kid to arrive was more than enough to think about, he couldn't analyse the letter and worry about their safety  _and_  think about his baby- it was too much.

"I can't think about it now... it's nothing urgent so it can wait" Eren breathed out tiredly, meeting Levi's eyes, "at least for the next few days".

Levi nodded in agreement and actually stayed seated next to Eren huddling in close together on the little lounge and taking Eren's hand tightly in his own. After they had rushed out of the party and followed the noises down the hall they were finally met with a closed door, Eren had tried to go in but at the same time Hange had come out. She had told them very firmly they were not allowed in and that they could either wait in their rooms or in the little sitting room next door- they had opted for the sitting room. 

They could hear nearly everything though and after five hours they were thinking they should have chosen their own rooms- Historia's never ending shouts of pain were fraying their nerves and they couldn't stand to listen to her in so much pain without knowing the end to it. But then, the idea of leaving and not being able to hear anything or be close was absolutely unthinkable so Eren had sat down and Levi had started pacing.

Levi held Eren's hand tightly for about an hour, there was no talking or laughing just the two of them sitting in silence and going out of their minds with worry. But in a moment they heard a particularly loud cry from Historia making both of them look up quickly when there was nothing but silence after. Nothing happened for a moment, no one spoke or cried or even breathed until they heard it. The distinct sound of a baby crying. 

Levi squeezed Eren's hand so hard he thought it might break but he was squeezing back just as tight, they both just sat in stunned silence as they listened to the little cries echo out of the room and into their own. Their baby was finally here.

"It's over..." Eren whispered, Historia was no longer crying or making any sounds at all, the only noise was their child testing out their lungs. 

"I think it's only just begun, love" Levi murmured back.

Eren was staring in awe at the door knowing that those cries were the sound of a healthy baby. Their own healthy baby. And suddenly all he needed to do was hold them, he need his kid right here- preferably in his and Levi's arms and hopefully not crying.

"We need to-" Levi said suddenly obviously having the same need as Eren, he stood up quickly but before he even made it two steps forward they heard it. The sound of doors opening and closing, footsteps in the hall and their baby's cries getting closer and closer. Levi had stood up with Eren but he stepped forward so they were level and grabbed a hold of his hand, winding their fingers together and giving the other strength.

 

***

 

It felt like an eternity but finally they saw the little door handle twist and Hange was stepping through. They barely took notice of her though, both sets of eyes focused entirely on the tiny bundle in her arms and the little hand gripping at the blanket surrounding it.

She stepped right up to them, their baby mere inches away, and whispered, "Congratulations boys... it's a girl".

A girl. They had daughter. A beautiful little girl that was entirely their own. They slowly moved their hands away from each other and Levi let Eren reach out, he was dying to hold her but the way Eren was looking at her, the way his eyes glowed and his smile grew he was very content to let his husband hold her first.

Hange carefully shifted the little girl around and with more caution than Levi had seen her do anything she gently passed the baby over to Eren. Levi's heart melted at the sight, he was so consumed by the two of them he didn't even notice that Hange had left. Eren was holding her so tenderly with her little head in the crook of his arm and her feet visibly kicking against the blanket and Levi couldn't look away.

She was still crying, it was less desperate now but still loud, and it was breaking his heart- he would never get used to that sound. Eren didn't seem to notice the crying, he was staring at her completely overwhelmed not moving and barely breathing, Levi just smiled at him and shook himself a little. With slow steps he guided them back to the lounge and made sure Eren was sitting down, Eren moved his arms in a ridiculously natural way and settled her against his chest.

Levi watched for a moment but the need to touch her was astounding so very slowly he extended his hand and ran a thin finger over her little fist. He gasped a little at the contact her skin so soft and warm but as he gently moved the rest of his hand over hers he flicked his eyes up and found the little girl staring back at him. She had light blue eyes, almost grey in the dawn light and she had almost instantly stopped crying.

She was watching him curiously and Levi couldn't help but smile, his soft touch had made her stop crying and he knew from that moment he was done for.

"She's beautiful" Eren murmured, his eyes tracing her face, taking in her almost grey eyes and button nose and her pink lips. She had a mop of brown hair on her head and skin that was still pink but she somehow managed to look like a little miniature of the man holding her.

"She looks like you" Levi said softly, a long finger moving to run softly over her nose.

"She looks like an Amelia" Eren said gently and Levi nodded, he didn't know why exactly but the name fitted perfectly.

"Amelia Isabel Ackerman Yeager" Levi replied and saw the smile that lit up Eren's face.

"We did good" was all he said as he moved the little girl and brought her closer so he could kiss her forehead and breathe in her smell. And then Eren was tearing his eyes away from her and meeting Levi's, "you want to hold her?"

Levi could only nod and hold his breath as Eren passed her over. Levi tightened his grip on her, let out a deep breath and finally relaxed. He was holding his daughter. She was tucked up safe in his arms and in a second he knew he would do anything, fight anyone to keep her from harm. No one would ever lay a hand on her and live to tell about it.

"I used to think I never caught a break- that I never got a moment of peace in my whole life" Eren said quietly and smiled softly at Amelia as he brushed his hand through her fine hair, "but I know now that I was just waiting for her... she's my peace".

Amelia was closing her eyes, she was quiet now that she was in her father's arms and Levi could only stare as she went to sleep. She was utterly perfect and Levi knew exactly what Eren meant, she was his little bit of peace as well.

 

***

 

"Are you two still in here?" Hange called out, she effectively broke them out of their trance and Eren stared up at her dazedly. They didn't know how long they had been sitting there but Amelia had fallen asleep and they didn't dare move, happy to just hold her and watch her breathe.

"She's asleep" Levi said sounding both defensive and annoyed as he tore his eyes away from his daughter to look up at Hange. She just grinned at him and made her way over to them crouching down to their level and taking a long look at the little girl.

"Does she have a name?" Hange asked gently not able to help her hand from rising to touch Amelia's face, her own smile softening in response.

"Amelia" Eren answered with a grin, Hange matched it and knelt down on the floor to make herself comfortable.

"Hm, I can see how you two may have lost track of time... she's quite something, isn't she?" Hange murmured while Levi and Eren just nodded in agreement. She was definitely something.

"Hange?" Eren started not quite sure he wanted to finish his thought.

"Yeah, hon?" Hange replied not taking her eyes of the baby.

"How's Historia?" Eren continued after a moment of hesitation, he wanted to know about his friend but he also wasn't sure he wanted the answer. Hange reached out and patted his hand in comfort.

"She's getting there... I wouldn't go and see her quite yet she needs some time alone" Hange answered and Eren nodded slowly.

"She's going to be OK, though, right?" Eren said anxiously.

"In time... she's been through a lot but I think she'll get there... she just needs some space to figure out her next step" Hange answered steadily. The sound of gurgling noises distracted all of them and they turned to see Amelia opening her eyes blearily and staring up at them.

"Looks like the little miss is awake" Hange said happily, "have you fed her yet?"

"No..." Eren answered honestly, "she fell asleep in Levi's arms pretty quickly and well, we didn't want to wake her".

"Do you know how to feed her?" Hange asked cheerily, Eren looked over at Levi who shrugged and then turned back to Hange.

"I've read about it... but will you show me?" he asked softly and Hange gave him a genuine smile.

"Of course, cutie, but best we take her back to your rooms and settle her in" Hange said and stood up in one fluid movement, "she can't stay here forever".

Eren nodded and looked back to Levi who still held their daughter tightly, "you have her?"

"Yeah, I've got her" Levi replied softly and rose to his feet swiftly.

"Just be careful" Eren said anxiously, stepping forward and placing his hand over Amelia's little fist.

"I'm not going to drop her" Levi said, rolling his eyes but smiling a little.

"You'd better not" Eren answered his voice firm but a ready smile on his face.

The trip back to their rooms was uneventful... and slow. Levi was walking incredibly slowly while Eren hovered by his side playing with Amelia's hand and tapping her nose softly, Hange just laughed along next to them happy to go at whatever speed they chose.

Hange was chatting the whole way as well, telling them more about Historia's labor and how their stubborn daughter refused to come any fast, she told them Petra had found her after and let her know all of Eren and Levi's gifts had been moved to their rooms and just before they finally arrived at their room she mentioned softly how Ymir had visited Historia and the little blonde had let her come in.

That bit of new had Eren smiling wider but he didn't comment, he was just happy to know that maybe those two girls were heading towards something.

As they entered their rooms they saw the pile of presents on the coffee table, Levi wasn't paying attention as he was entirely focused on Amelia again and heading straight for the nursery. Eren did however take notice of the one wrapped present lying near the top, he grabbed it up quickly before following Levi. He was standing in the doorway when Eren caught up, smiling softly and looking around the room but as he felt Eren brush up against him he turned to look at the brunette.

"You want to hold her? I can help get her bottle ready" Levi offered softly and Eren nodded. He dropped the present on top of the chest then went to the rocking chair quickly and before he knew it Levi was passing his daughter back to him and leaving the room with Hange. Eren stared down at the girl, she really was perfect. Her skin was pink and still a little wrinkled but her eyes were open and staying straight up at him, her pink lips now sucking on her fist.

"Hi there, Mia" Eren cooed at her, she felt so much lighter than he had expected and he was scared the slightest movement might break her but as he talked to her about nothing at all she gurgled at him and didn't look away.

 

***

 

It was silly really and Eren was forever thankful no one was watching them but they didn't go to bed that day. Amelia was swaddled in clean blankets and sleeping happily in her cot and yet neither Levi nor Eren could leave the room. They hovered over her crib, they sat against the wall and for an hour they even shared the rocking chair- the whole time just watching their daughter.

Hange had left hours ago after quickly showing Levi how to make up a bottle- they had both been pretty sure they knew what to do but neither of them had wanted to make a mistake so they let Hange walk them through it.

Amelia was an easy baby so far, she slept deeply and for a few hours at a time before making little noises that had one of them going to the kitchen and the other going to pick her up. All of the books they had read said that the crying and constant diaper changes would start very soon but the first day was usually relatively calm. They took turns feeding her and rocking her and just holding her while she slept- neither of them seemed to be able to get enough of just holding her.

After her last feeding Eren had sighed happily and carefully placed her back in her cot, he was absolutely exhausted but didn't want to leave, he was OK being tired if he got to stay exactly where he was. It was then that he spotted Historia's present still sitting on top of the chest from where he'd left it before, he walked over and grabbed it before returning to sit beside Levi on the floor.

"What's that?" Levi murmured, Eren could hear the exhaustion in his voice but knew that Levi wouldn't leave any sooner than himself.

"Historia's present" Eren said softly, speaking quietly as to not disturb Amelia. He carefully unwrapped the paper and let the present fall onto his lap, it was wrapped in a layer of tissue paper and there was a little note on top.

 

_Dear Eren & Levi_

_It's selfish of me to do this and I have no problem if you want to return it but that little selfish part of me had to try. I made this for her (because I'm almost certain she's a girl) so that I could give her just a little piece of myself that she could keep._

_The back is made out some of my old baby clothes that my own mother actually kept and I embroidered the front myself (I hope I didn't overstep with the words but I was never really as asleep as you thought I was when you were talking to her)._

_I know this little girl is going to have the best life and I know you two will be amazing Father's._

_Keep her safe,_

_Historia_

 

Eren was speechless as he removed the tissue paper and let a beautiful hand sewn quilt fall onto his lap, the detail was so fine and the stitching so precise that Eren couldn't move. The back was in fact pieced together by about forty little squares of different fabric and coloring which could only have been taken from clothes, it looked a little worn and some of the colors faded but it was still beautiful. But it was when Eren looked at the front he totally lost the ability to speak.

It was intricate patterns of white, grey and burnt orange covered with soft green leaves and little yellow flowers sewn on top and the words 'Amelia Isabel' finely stitched in the bottom left corner.

"It has her name on it" Levi breathed out running a finger over the embroidery.

"It's perfect" Eren sighed, he didn't really understand her note though. Why would they want to return this? So much thought and love had gone into it, it would be devastating to try and return it. She had carried Amelia for nine months, she had spent every moment of that time with their daughter and then she had let her go without hesitation and she thought that Eren and Levi wouldn't let her do this?

If she let them they would have given Historia anything she wanted because even though it wasn't their choice and that it had happened too soon, Historia had given them more than they could ever return. Eren sighed and let it go for the moment resigning himself to actually going and talking to Historia in person, not just to thank her for the gift but for everything she had done for them, he was also pretty sure he was going to tell her not to be a stranger to them or to Amelia.

"It's scary when you think about it" Eren murmured, he spread the quilt out over their legs and leaned heavily against Levi, letting his head fall onto the raven's shoulder.

"What's that?" Levi asked quietly, letting his own head rest on top of Eren's.

"Just that a year ago I was in Maria... with no Levi and no Amelia" Eren whispered with a small smile, "it's just strange to think how much has changed ".

"Hm... I never would have guessed a year ago I would be here" Levi replied softly, "if anyone had told me this would be my life I would have laughed at them".

"And then made them run until they puked for even suggesting the mere idea of you having a daughter" Eren said back lightly.

Levi snorted but it was low and tired, "And a husband... never would have thought I'd have one of those".

"And one you actually like, as well" Eren replied softly, his eyes were closed and he could feel himself nodding off knowing that Levi was not far behind him.

"The horror..." Levi teased and Eren laughed lightly before taking a deep breath and letting himself go, exhaustion finally taking over his body.


	42. Pocketful of Sunshine

"Levi? Levi... I'll take her, go and get some sleep" Eren murmured, he knelt by the rocking chair and gently shook Levi's leg to wake him up. Levi opened his eyes blearily instantly looking to Amelia to make sure she was safe and still sleeping, he cuddled her a little tighter before finally meeting Eren's eyes.

"Wha' time is it?" Levi mumbled moving a hand from under Amelia to rub at his eyes and glance around the room and out of the window to try and guess.

"Early, it's barely 6 in the morning" Eren answered his voice low and quiet. He smiled softly at the sight of Levi and Amelia cuddled together and moved in to scoop the little girl up and move her close to his own body. She only shifted a little but as Eren held her steady she calmed down and stayed asleep.

Eren stared at her with a dopey smile on his face, it had been five days since they had brought her home and even though they were both exhausted and hungry neither could seem to leave her alone, happy to just hold her and feel her warmth and slight weight.

She was just as perfect as when he'd first held her, she was louder now and cleaner, she constantly had dirty diapers and seemed to have a sixth sense for when they had both fallen asleep. She could sense it and at the precise moment they had nodded off she would wake them both up with loud wailing cries. 

They took it in turns to get her knowing that most of the time she only wanted them to hold her and talk to her, sometimes she wanted food or a diaper change but mostly she just wanted her fathers.

Levi had been the one to get up just before 4 when they heard her cries, they had both sighed in defeat as they had finally managed to climb into bed at the same time since she was born. Levi rolled over and kissed Eren softly on the cheek before whispering for him to go back to sleep and shifting around to get out of bed. Eren had fallen to sleep quickly after that but with the sun streaming through the window and Levi's side of the bed cold and empty he was quick to wake in the morning to go and find his family.

"She still sleeping?" Levi murmured as he hunched over a little and rubbed at his eyes again.

"Yeah" Eren whispered back, he looked away from Amelia to take Levi in and smiled softly. He shifted his  daughter so he was holding her with one arm with her head lying on his shoulder and extended the other towards Levi and ran it gently through his hair.

Levi sighed at the feeling and slowly stood up, stretching his arms and cracking his back into alignment. Eren moved his hand from Levi's hair down his neck to rest on his shoulder while Levi met his eyes. He smiled tiredly and Eren moved to take his hand tightly.

"Come on, we're going back to bed" Eren said.

"Mia?" Levi questioned motioning to their daughter.

"She's coming with us" Eren said with a smile, he slipped his hand into Levi's and walked him out of the nursery and down the hall back to their own bedroom. He got into bed and dragged Levi with him and arranged himself sitting against the backboard with Mia's head on his shoulder and Levi slumped against his side.

"Are we doing anything today?" Levi mumbled, Eren looked down at him and saw his eyes were closed again.

"Diaper changes, constant feedings, trying to get a nap in when Miss Grumpy is sleeping" Eren listed while he heard Levi groan.

"We're only five days in" Levi grouched, "how are we going to keep this up?"

"We'll be fine" Eren soothed running his hand through Levi's hair again, "she'll start sleeping for more than an hour at a time and then so will we".

"A year ago this wouldn't have been a problem but you got me sleeping too much" Levi grumbled and Eren laughed lightly, his laugh startled Mia and she gurgled against him and then started crying quietly.

"Shh... sweetheart" Eren soothed while bouncing her up and down gently.

"Sorry" Levi mumbled but whether it was to Eren or Amelia he didn't really know.

"Come on honey, your Daddy was just trying to be funny" Eren murmured with a small smile, "he wasn't really managing it but I guess you already know that".

"Really Eren?" Levi grouched.

"She get's her superior sense of humor from me which means she doesn't find you funny either" Eren answered with a smirk.

"Mhmm..." Levi grumbled but Amelia was still fussing so he sat up properly to face Eren, "just pass me my daughter, you idiot".

"Fine" Eren huffed and passed Mia over to Levi, he rested her on his chest and patted her back softly. She quietened quickly and closed her eyes again with her tiny little hand fisted in Levi's shirt.

"See?" Levi murmured and Eren pouted.

"She totally likes you better" Eren grumbled. Levi sighed and looked over, leaning in and pulling Eren in close to kiss him properly. 

"Well, she is mostly you so it makes sense" Levi whispered against Eren's lip with a smirk. Eren chuckled and moved his hand to Levi's cheek to draw him in closer and kiss him again.

"Maybe but she has your nose" Eren said lightly.

Levi snorted and bounced Mia up a little, "Eren, it's genetically impossible for her to have my nose".

"Possibly but she totally does" Eren hummed and moved a little to see Amelia's face and run a finger over her nose, "it's cute and little and looks like a tiny ramp".

"She does not" Levi grumbled but Eren just laughed and carefully shifted Mia around so that she was cradled in Levi's arms managing to keep her asleep. He ran his finger over her nose again and flicked it up at the end to pronounce the bump very similar to his husbands.

"I think Hange is coming over at some point" Eren said softly while letting Mia clutch at his outstretched finger.

"No please... I'm already caring for one child" Levi groaned while Eren laughed.

"Don't know when though... she could come at any time" Eren warned with a smirk, "we haven't left the house in five days it might be nice to see someone from the outside... even Hange".

"True... I'm so tired I don't even care that I have spit up down the back of my top" Levi sighed.

"I want to talk to an adult... I love you but I don't think our conversations count anymore" Eren murmured and Levi just nodded.

"An adult would be nice" Levi agreed, "even Hange".

Levi slid down in their bed and moved Mia again so that she was resting next to them on her back, Eren joined him and curled in on his side so that him and Levi turned into a protective barrier around Amelia's little body. Levi smiled at him and lay his hand on Amelia's tummy rubbing it gently as she started to fuss, Eren just lay his head on his own pillow and smiled back. He was exhausted and had an actual real baby lying next to him that was his forever to look after but looking at Levi he was able to breathe a little easier and know that they'd be fine.

 

***

 

"How's the baby?" Hange asked with a grin.

She had arrived during lunch with two trays of food that were usually delivered by recruits and nothing they said could get her to leave. So now they were all in the living room with Eren on the lounge and Hange in the armchair and Levi pacing back and forth between them trying to calm down an over tired little girl.

"She's a crying, dirty mess that doesn't get enough sleep" Levi grouched but Hange just laughed at him.

"A bit like her dads then, huh?" Hange teased.

"Sadly yes" Eren sighed and tried to stifle a yawn.

"Why don't you take her outside and get some air?" Hange suggested looking between the two of them and taking in their tired posture and the dark circles under their eyes. Levi and Eren exchanged a serious look before turning back to Hange.

"No" Levi said firmly while walking away again and patting Amelia's back.

"She's still too little... it might be dangerous" Eren reasoned, "we're on a military base so she's just safer if she stays in here with us".

Hange raised her eyebrows at him, "Do you intend to keep her inside until she's 18?"

"No, of course not" Eren said quietly, "just for now... I mean, what if she gets sick? Or what if something happens... I need her to stay where she's safe".

Hange tilted her head at Eren and then looked to Levi who just nodded in agreement, "Fine... what if I take her and you two go and get some sleep- you look exhausted?"

"Uh, no... we're fine" Levi said and glanced at Eren to make sure he agreed, "she's only calm with us anyway".

"Levi give me the baby and go to bed" Hange ordered and then looked to Eren, "and take Eren with you- he's about to pass out".

Eren shook his head slightly at Levi while Hange wasn't looking, he liked her and eventually would let her look after Mia but his daughter was less than a week old... so no. No way in hell.

"We're good" Levi said firmly and Eren noticed how he held Mia a little closer and started pacing away from Hange again. 

"Fine but you can't just stay awake forever" Hange warned while Levi rolled his eyes and Eren sighed. He knew they couldn't keep going like this- they were both so tired and yet they didn't want anyone else caring for their daughter.

"We're managing" Eren tried but yawned at the end not able to convince Hange at all.

"I know, hon, just know that I'm here if you decide you want more than a few hours sleep at a time" Hange answered kindly and leaned forward to pat Eren's hand.

"Thanks, Hange" Eren said softly but his eyes were itching with exhaustion and he knew if he stayed seated any longer he'd fall asleep. Mia was still crying in Levi's arms and he knew she was hungry and tired and needed their attention. He met Levi's eyes with a brief smile and groaned as he stood up and started towards the kitchen, he only got a few steps before Hange had pushed him back down with a huff.

"For the love of god just ask for help" she exclaimed and stormed off to the kitchen to fix Amelia's bottle for him.

"She needs a bath and then hopefully she'll sleep" Levi said softly trying to soothe her but she wouldn't stop fussing, Eren breathed in deeply and held out his arms in a silent gesture to take Mia and try himself. Levi passed her over and Eren arranged her in his arms so she was ready for the bottle that Hange was going to bring over, she quietened a little when Eren started to rock her but it didn't last long. 

Hange brought the bottle over and handed it to Eren who smiled tiredly at her in thanks and then tried to feed his daughter. She latched onto the bottle and for a few minutes the room was quiet, Levi dropped onto the lounge beside Eren with his head falling back and his eyes closed trying to soak in the silence. Eren's own eyes were half closed as he fed Mia trying not to let the silence and comfort sweep him away.

"You two are hopeless" Hange sighed with obvious affection but neither Levi nor Eren had the energy to disagree.

 

***

 

 

"Can you read this for me?" Eren asked lightly, Levi was holding Amelia over her little bath while gently wiping over her skin with a wet cloth. They had found out straight away that Amelia loved baths, she would gurgle and pump her little hands around and kick the water up at them and it never failed to make Levi and Eren laugh.

"What is it?" Levi asked looking up from Mia to take in the letter Eren was holding.

"Letter to Mika- I wrote it yesterday and with Brzenska's heading back to Maria tomorrow I thought I'd send it with her" Eren said and shrugged slightly. He placed the letter on the dry counter and headed over to take Mia from Levi, holding her in the water and letting her sound like she was almost giggling as they switched.

Levi smiled softly at his husband as he stared at their daughter with fondness and so much love it was almost ridiculous but turned to pick up the letter to read it over.

 

_Dear Mikasa,_

_You won't believe it but your letter arrived on the same night my daughter did! Well, she got here the morning after but I was reading your letter while Levi and I were waiting for her. She's so beautiful, Mikasa, I can't wait for you to meet her! She's tiny though, she came two weeks early and was only about the length of my elbow to finger when she was born._

_It's almost crazy how much I love her! She doesn't do anything but cry and sleep and drive us crazy with the amount of dirty diapers she can make but it's like she's the only thing I can think about right now... like if she's not with Levi or myself I can't even think straight because I'm so worried._

_We haven't really slept much in the last five days but it's worth it not to miss anything she does and to be there to hold her when she cries. And oh god was Levi funny the first time he changed her diaper- the face he pulled was hilarious and then he just left the room and came back with a mask covering his nose and mouth! I laughed so hard I swear I started crying!_

_We're both pretty good with diapers now though- we could probably change them in our sleep if we had too (which to be fair we're more asleep than awake now anyway!) but it's totally worth it. She's not sleeping for more than a few hours at a time and she cries a lot when she's alone- it's like she only calms down when Levi or I hold her._

_OH!! I forgot to say her name- Amelia Isabel Ackerman Yeager. It suits her so well but we've taken to calling her Mia when we're alone- I have a feeling it'll stick though and we'll probably only call her Amelia when she's in trouble (although I can't imagine ever getting angry at her!)._

_I hope you can come and visit soon so you can meet her but like you asked Levi and I have no plans to come to Maria- we don't even leave our rooms at the moment so leaving the Kingdom is completely out of the question. We plan to keep her safe as long as we live and that means keeping her far, far away from Father and unfortunately that means Maria as well for the moment. We'll wait for your visit but if it isn't safe to leave Maria please don't- as much as I hate to admit it there are more important things than Amelia at the moment._

_We have been taking photo's - too many, really- ever since she was born. We have her first bath and her first night in her bed and so many others that if you can't come straight away all of the photo's will make you feel like you were here the whole time anyway._

_Please be careful with Father and try not to take any dangerous risks- Amelia needs her aunt to be around for a long time and I need my sister to help keep me sane. I know you worry about being Queen and I understand how you feel but I know you will be amazing and that even though it wasn't your choice I believe you'll find such complete happiness in your life it won't matter anymore that you didn't choose it yourself. That's how I feel now- I can't imagine my life without Levi and even less so without Amelia, they are so much a part of me that if I ever lost them I don't think I would recover._

_You are so strong and brave and the best person I know that I believe wherever you go you'll find a life so complete you'll reach a point where you couldn't imagine a time you ever thought about hesitating._

_As for your plans for Father I trust your judgement and know you'll make the best decision. Whatever you and Armin decide I'm behind you and I promise we'll talk about it more when I see you next. Stay away from him if it's the best option and please stay safe for me- I can't be there to help but I promise I'm doing my part to keep our family protected. Mia has me and Levi with her at all times and no doubt Erwin has put the rest of the base on high alert in case Father does try something to get to her- he doesn't stand a chance on base though so keep that in mind._

_I love you, Mikasa, and promise that when you visit I'll tell you every detail about your beautiful niece that I can't write in a letter._ _I gave her a kiss for you and talk about you quite a bit and even though she can't do more than cry (at a decibel I didn't think possible) I know she'll be happy to meet you._

_With love, Eren_

_P.S. I'm so sorry if this letter doesn't make sense or you can't read it too well- I'm writing this while half asleep, with a baby on my shoulder and a husband passed out on my lap so I have a pretty excellent excuse!_

 

"Is it OK?" Eren asked over his shoulder, he had finished washing Mia and had wrapped her in a fluffy yellow towel to hold her against his chest. She was finally quiet and had a damp little hand clutched in his shirt while her eyes were half closed and her breathing evening out. They had to get her changed and down quickly while she was soothed or otherwise they were in for hell- they had this almost down to an art after the first few times had been complete disasters.

"Perfect" Levi answered and kissed Eren softly on the lips, "we need to get her down now though".

"I know" Eren said and together they went to her nursery, Eren holding her steady while Levi found a fresh diaper and clothes for her. Eren dressed her quickly having finally gotten the hang of all the buttons down her little one piece rompers, swaddled her in a soft purple blanket and then picked her up again to sit together in the rocking chair. She had woken briefly while they dressed her but as soon as Eren was seated and rocking gently back and forth her little blue eyes were closing and they knew she was finally going to sleep.

"Let's hope it's for more than a few hours" Levi whispered as Eren placed her gently in bed on her back and sighed.

"I'm so tired I think I'm already asleep" Eren murmured trying to stretch out stiff limbs.

"We can probably fit in a few hours sleep" Levi offered softly.

Eren looked around the nursery and knew they had to clean, there was a bin in the corner full of dirty diapers they needed to take out and then a basket of both theirs and Mia's laundry that desperately needed washing not to mention all of the dishes in the sink they couldn't even see.

"We need to clean the house" Eren muttered running a hand through his hair, Levi groaned at the thought but just scooped up Eren's hand.

"First we sleep while she's sleeping and try and get a little sanity back... and then we tackle the cleaning" Levi said firmly and without waiting for Eren to answer he took one last lingering look at Mia before dragging Eren out of the nursery and back to their own room to drop onto the bed. They didn't bother to change or even move that much instead merely passing out exactly where they landed and hoping that Mia decided to sleep for awhile.

They were so dead asleep they didn't hear Hange coming back inside, she circled the house and took in Mia sleeping soundly in her own bed and Levi and Eren passed out in a heap on their bed. She smirked and as quietly as she could she got to work. She started with the living room and then the kitchen and when she was sure Mia was asleep she went to town on the nursery. She delivered clothes to the hallway where she had arranged for Marco and Sasha to collect them, wash them and bring them back. She handed out trash bags to Reiner and Bertolt to get rid off and when the house was back to normal and there was no longer a funky smell wafting through the air she took a seat in the rocking chair and watched Mia.

She knew Levi and Eren would hate that she barged into their house and was looking after Mia without their consent but she was ready for the anger- it was for their own good they get a decent sleep and with her so willing to help she didn't know why they were so against it. But when Mia started to fuss and wake up after only two hours Hange picked her up and cradled her, rocking her gently so that she would go back to sleep, Hange started to understand. Amelia was so small and precious and after everything Levi and Eren had been through to get to this point she finally understood their over-protectiveness- if it had been her own child she wouldn't have let them near anyone for months, happy to be tired if it kept them safe.

"Sorry, little Miss" Hange soothed as Mia fussed, "your Daddy's need help _and_ they need sleep... so you're stuck with me for a little while".

It was strange but it was almost like Mia understood, she calmed down a little and didn't fuss when Hange fed her or changed her diaper and she fell back to sleep easily without waking Levi and Eren. Hange sat in the nursery for the next hour and just watched her friends daughter not quite believing they were really here and that the angry bastard and scared young boy she had known over a year ago were so utterly changed now and that this little girl depended on them for everything. It was even more unbelievable that Hange didn't even feel worried or hesitant in knowing that they were capable in doing it... Amelia Isabel would always know that she was loved deeply.

When Levi and Eren woke hours later to the familiar noises of Mia they felt surprisingly refreshed if not completely confused. It was when they left their room to get to the nursery did they notice the clean house, the fresh clothes and the empty sink with clean bottles lined up on the counter. They went to Mia's room and found their daughter awake and cooing up at them, Eren bent down to pick her up with a grin and laughed as she gurgled happily at him and grabbed at his hair and shirt.

Levi just poked around the room taking in the empty bins and fresh smelling room and sighed. Eren turned to him and raised an eyebrow while Levi smiled softly and came over to them.

"Fucking Hange" Levi muttered but he couldn't be angry, he was finally rested and his home was clean and Hange had made the effort to help them even if it was without their knowing. Eren bounced Mia a little but she was looking at Levi with big eyes and her little hand was reaching out for him.

"Fine, you little traitor" Eren laughed as he handed her over to Levi and she instantly snuggled up against him.

"See? She even sleeps the same way you do" Levi teased fondly as Mia rested her head on Levi's chest.

"She has good taste" Eren beamed, he was completely resigned to how much Mia loved Levi and couldn't really blame her- she was genetically related to himself after all and it was the first thing he knew he had passed down to her. They were both pretty transparent when it came to loving Levi.

"She might be up for a little" Levi said happily and Eren grinned. He snatched up a blanket and laid it out on the nursery floor while Levi knelt down carefully moved Mia onto it- this was the best part of their day. 

Mia was happy and cooing and wriggling her little body around while Levi and Eren laid down next to her and watched, she would look at everything but always came back to her fathers faces. It was their little moment of pure bliss in the day where they could just watch her being happy and awake and not think of anything except their daughter. It never lasted long but the time they got was worth it and when she finally started to scrunch up her face or they smelt something nasty coming from the direction of her diaper they would always sigh a little and start moving again- happy to wait for their next little moment.


	43. Kindly Unspoken

Levi woke up to Eren poking him hard in the side. They had only managed to get to sleep a few hours ago, Mia had been really fussy the last few days and just wouldn't sleep for any length of time. Levi groaned at the unwanted interruption to his well-deserved sleep and tried to roll away from Eren with his eyes still firmly closed.

"Shh, Eren... 'm sleeping" Levi slurred into his pillow but at Eren's next word's Levi was up in an instant.

"Levi... I think 'm sick" Eren croaked. He definitely sounded sick with his voice only reaching a low level and not coming out clearly.

Levi sat up in bed and opened his eyes properly to take Eren in, he sighed and rubbed his eyes at what he saw. Eren was sick- his eyes were red and watery, his face pale and no sooner had he spoken then his hand flew over his mouth and he was out of bed and running to the bathroom.

"Fuck" Levi grumbled as he heard the sound of retching coming from the direction Eren had run in. He moved out of bed and went to the bathroom to poke his head in, Eren was kneeling over the toilet while emptying the contents of his stomach.

"Eren?" he whispered from the door and Eren looked up at him.

"You gotta get Mia out of here... case its contagious" Eren mumbled but he sounded firm and Levi nodded in agreement but paused before he walked away.

"Are you gonna be OK?" he murmured, he was worried at how pale and fragile Eren was looking but the brunette just smiled weakly.

"I think it's something I ate yesterday... but just in case we can't let Mia get sick- she's already not sleeping as it is" Eren said softly, his voice still broken.

"I'll get her out... but it means I have to take her onto the base" Levi said softly trying desperately not to upset Eren more.

"S'OK... she'll be with you plus maybe she'll see too much and actually sleep for more than an hour" Eren answered weakly before turning back to the toilet and resting his head on the cool porcelain.

"I'm gonna go find someone to come and look after you" Levi said firmly and when Eren did nothing but groan as an answer, he left. 

He quickly went into his bedroom to change into his uniform, he wasn't meant to go back to training for another week but he figured it'd be better to be safe while taking his daughter out onto the base for the first time.

He pulled on his gear without even thinking and buckled it on with ease and years of experience before leaving to go to the nursery.

He entered Mia's room carefully even though he knew he had to pick her up he was loathe to wake her. She was finally sleeping soundly and for a moment he couldn't move to pick her up but then the idea of her being sick was even more trouble than waking her now. 

Before he picked her up he moved around her room and grabbed a carry bag to fill with everything they would need for the day- extra clothes, diapers, bottles and a blanket. After filling the bag with probably more than necessary for only a day away he slung it over his shoulder and crept up to Mia's cot to look at his sleeping daughter.

He smiled softly at the sight of her calm face, she hadn't been sleeping easily and it was taking it's toll on her as much as her fathers. Levi really hated to wake her up but he knew it was preferable to the alternative, so as carefully as he could he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

She was still incredibly small to Levi and fit perfectly in the crook of his arm, as he shifted her a little to get comfortable he was surprised to find that she didn't wake up. Levi sighed in utter relief hoping that maybe she would stay asleep for awhile longer.

He paused before he left, he didn't want to take Mia close to Eren but he also needed to check to see if Eren was OK.

He quickly ducked his head back into his bedroom to find that Eren was curled up in bed again before making his way out of their rooms. His first thought was to go down to the dining hall- it was early enough that breakfast would still be happening and his stomach was growling at him to eat something but he wasn't sure he wanted to bring Mia down there yet.

His stomach growled again and with a cautious look at Mia to make sure she was still fast asleep he sighed and just headed towards food.

He was staring at Mia's little face as he made his way down the halls- he wasn't sure about actually bringing her close to other people yet as so far she had been entirely his and Eren's with the occasional exception of Hange.

He didn't want to share her yet- he had loved the last three weeks as exhausting as they were. The three of them were a family and it felt like it too, there was more love in their rooms now than Levi had ever experienced and he didn't want to ever risk that ending.

But as it was with Eren sick and possibly contagious he had no other choice but to actually be among people again and expose his daughter to the military base. He made his way downstairs not actually meeting anyone on the way and breathing a little easier as with each step Mia slept on.

He only stopped when he heard the racket coming from the dining hall- he hadn't even thought of that. He couldn't go in there, those loud fuckers would wake Mia up in a moment and his peace would be broken. He was ready to turn around- to forget about food in order to keep Mia asleep- when he heard a familiar voice call out to him from behind.

"Levi" Hange exclaimed and Levi turned his head to see her waving at him. He turned the rest of the way and shushed her and watched as her face went soft at the sight of him with his daughter in his arms.

"Oh" she gasped instantly going quiet and then she grinned.

"Eren's sick" Levi said dryly while he shifted Mia closer to his body protectively.

"Ooh, can I look after her then?" Hange offered instantly but Levi only flinched at the idea. Mia hadn't been out of his or Eren's protection since she was born and even though he trusted Hange and knew she came around sometimes to help while they slept he couldn't entrust his daughter to her yet. Not alone anyway.

"Ah, no, I'm fine" Levi answered firmly, Hange's expression flickered from excited to disappointed but eventually settled on relatively neutral although he could see the dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Fine" she said happily but then started bouncing around, "oh, I was actually just coming to get you!"

Levi just raised an eyebrow and waited for Hange to continue, too tired to play along with any games.

"There's no cover for training- we're short today and everyone else is busy, I was coming to ask if you could take it for today" Hange explained but then settled her eyes on Mia's sleeping form, "but with Miss Amelia here it might be a little hard..."

Levi paused to think about it. He _missed_ training. He missed the strain on his muscles and the feeling of flying through the air, he missed marking the improvement of his recruits, running without needing to stop and even the feel of sweat dripping down his face after a particularly hard session.

So, with that in mind he turned to Hange and nodded, "I'll cover training" he said.

Hange smiled but looked down at Mia, "and your daughter?"

"She can come... may as well get her started on training early" Levi said with a casual shrug. It would probably be good for both of them to get some fresh air, he knew he was in desperate need of at least a piece of his old routine and hopefully Mia would sleep better tonight if she wore herself out today.

"Levi, she's three weeks old" Hange commented with a laugh but Levi just smiled softly and looked down at the sleeping brunette.

"She'll be fine- honestly, if she's anything like Eren she'll probably have a great day" Levi answered.

"Alright, alright- I get it... it's bring your daughter to work day today" Hange laughed and slapped Levi lightly on the shoulder and pushed him towards the dining hall and the racket of people inside. Levi hesitated at the noise.

"We can't go in there- it's too loud" Levi finally relented with a sigh and Hange quirked an eyebrow, "even if she wasn't sleeping they'd scare her... she's only been around me and Eren and the only noise in our place at the moment is her".

"Hmm... OK! Wait here- I'll fix it" Hange said after considering for a moment, she turned and strode into the dining hall while Levi just stood silently outside.

And after a pause Levi heard Hange's voice calling out over everyone else's and getting the whole room's attention, Levi sighed deeply and resigned himself to being at Hange's mercy.

"Listen up! We have a very special guest joining us for breakfast this morning" she started and Levi could hear the murmurs of excitement running through the room, "but for them to come in we'll need everyone to be completely silent - that means no talking, no scraping of chairs and no banging the dishes around". 

Levi groaned a little at her dramatics but couldn't deny her results- the dining room was blissfully, perfectly silent.

Hange popped her head out of the door with a grin, "you're good now".

Levi rolled his eyes at her but walked forward slowly making sure Mia was still asleep, when he glanced down he noticed she had curled in on herself a little with her head facing Levi's chest and her fist clenched in his shirt- he smiled knowing he would never get over the sight. She let out a sigh and a bit of drool dribbled out of her mouth and down her chin, Levi reacted automatically but unfortunately for him that was the moment he stepped through the door.

And after three weeks of leave the first sight the majority of Trost Military Base got of their Captain was him carrying a bundle of baby into the hall, smiling a faint but genuine smile down at his daughter while cleaning up her drool. Even if Hange hadn't asked them to be quiet the entire room was rendered silent by mere shock at the sight. Captain Levi looked so happy- more tired than they'd ever seen him- but somehow more whole.

Levi glanced up and narrowed his eyes, they were staring at him like a bunch of idiots, some with forks stopped halfway to their mouths and others with their mouths dropped open and food trying to escape back to their plates. Levi rolled his eyes and forged on- no matter what he did they were going to stare so he may as well get some food and take advantage of the silent room.

"Fuck, you're adorable now" Hange squealed quietly but with the room devoid of noise her little statement carried and had some of the soldiers snapping out of their surprise and either nodding in agreement or just snickering behind their hands.

"Fuck you" Levi grumbled and Hange gasped in mock hurt.

"Levi! You're a dad now you can't be swearing in front of your daughter" Hange chastised but she was grinning widely and still leading them to their table.

"I can fucking swear as much as I fucking want" Levi grumbled and then sighed, "besides she's like three weeks old... we'll stop the swearing when she starts trying to talk".

"Wait, we?" Hange questioned with a raised eyebrow, they had reached the table and Hange had even pulled Levi's chair out for him to sit down without moving Mia.

"Right like Eren'll stop swearing just because we have Mia- he's almost as bad as I am" Levi said coolly as he dropped Mia's bag on the ground and took his seat. He had Hange on his right and turned to see Erwin on his left, he nodded at the man who smiled back at him with genuine pleasure.

"Fine... I'm going to get food" Hange said and left the table, Levi didn't bother following knowing that his strange friend was going to be bringing him food back as well.

"You look tired, Levi" Erwin commented and Levi just met his eyes with a derisive scowl.

"No shit" was all he said.

"Is this her?" Erwin asked and Levi watched as his Commander and friend looked down at Mia's little face with curiosity.

"No, Erwin, this is the other child I have that no one knows about" Levi grouched, "yes, shit for brains, this is her".

"Cranky today, are we?" Hange commented happily as she came back and placed food in front of Levi, Levi thanked her stiffly and just started eating one handed. Both him and Eren had mastered the art of eating with whatever hand was free in the last few weeks as most of the time Mia didn't care if they were hungry when she wanted to be held.

"I'm on two hours sleep, my husband's sick, my daughter is outside for the first time and everyone in this goddamn room is still staring at me" Levi said savagely letting the exhaustion rule his mood for a moment before clamping down on it and letting out a deep breath. Hange was just laughing at him and strangely enough her easy attitude was actually helping plus the others at his table weren't staring at him but continuing as if he hadn't brought his newborn daughter to breakfast.

"Levi, can I hold her?" Petra asked softly from next to Hange, she peered around the brunette not even looking at Levi her eyes only focused on Mia.

"No" Levi said but it wasn't angry, he just couldn't pass her over to anyone else while she was sleeping besides as far as he knew it was only Eren, himself and Hange who had held her so far and he wasn't willing to let her go.

"Fine" Petra said with a smile, "but you'll have to put her down at some point".

Before he could glare back he heard a sniff and a gurgle from the baby against his chest and instantly all of his attention went to her, she was moving slightly and her hands were waving around, her eyes were still closed but he knew she was waking up.

"Fuck" Levi hissed and then stood up carefully, he shifted Mia around a little so she was more comfortable and then started pacing and humming a tune, low and quiet. He'd never been one to sing and still wasn't but Eren was- Eren sang to her all the time. Most of the time he was loud and off-key but sometimes in quiet moments of the early morning or late at night while trying to put her down he could hear a soft tune carried out from the nursery. It was a lullaby he'd never heard before and when he'd asked, Eren had just smiled sadly and told him it was the song his mother used to sing to him.

It worked like a charm on Mia and sometimes that little song sung in Eren's soft voice was all Mia needed to fall back asleep- Levi had never tried it before but right now seemed as good a time as any. She always seemed to sleep better while they walked as well, she liked moving around, so Levi hoped that his pacing plus his soft hum was enough to get her to settle.

He knew people were staring, he could feel their eyes all over him but he didn't care he just needed Mia to stay asleep a little while longer. So he hummed Eren's lullaby and walked slowly back and forth until she calmed down. It took maybe 10 minutes to settle her and the whole time he just hummed the same notes over and over again and hoped his daughter wouldn't mind him taking over Eren's song.

When she settled again Levi sighed in relief and returned to his seat as if nothing had happened and really for him, nothing had. It was a part of his daily routine now to soothe his daughter so it wasn't strange for him but for everyone else in the room, well, it was kind of like witnessing the apocalypse.

"You really don't want me to eat a meal, huh kid?" Levi whispered as he tried in vain to get a hand free so he could eat again.

"What the hell just happened?" Petra murmured with wide eyes.

"Was Levi actually humming?" Hange asked in disbelief.

"Holy fuck... I think he got hotter" a voice squeaked out from another table.

"Idiots" Levi grunted and Mia moved her head a little at the sound of his voice as if she were nodding in agreement and Levi couldn't help but chuckle softly- she was definitely his kid after all.

 

***

 

Levi left the dining hall first to make sure he got ahead of all the scraping chairs and noises that came with cleaning up. He shouldered his bag, made his goodbyes to the still slightly shocked table and then slowly made his way out of the hall and outside to breathe in the fresh air and head towards the training ground.

It was a warm morning which he knew was going to lead into another hot day but he could only let out a deep breathe and keep walking into the bright sun- he was finally outside. There was a cool breeze in the air as he reached the empty training area and he paused to figure out what to do next. 

He was still trying to figure out his next step when a group of recruits made their way over to him, there was a more wary group following behind them at a distance but the ones closing in on him were familiar. Eren's friends were focused on him, well not on him but Mia with Sasha and Connie sporting huge almost predatory grins and the rest of the boys looking both freaked out and completely awed. It was Ymir and Annie that held Levi's attention though both looking oddly emotional about the little girl and for Levi it was the most emotion he had seen on either of their faces.

"Captain Levi!" Sasha exclaimed, apparently him having a kid with their friend had stopped all formality between them at least in her head anyway.

"Can we see her?" Connie asked excitedly walking right up to Levi to try and get a look.

"We haven't seen you three at all please let us see her" Sasha pouted stopping close to Connie, the others spread out right behind them and looking at Levi with variations of enthusiasm. Levi met all of their eyes and sighed- these ones were relentless and if he didn't at least try to appease them he didn't really want to know what they would do. So Levi moved Mia a little so she was visible and dragged in a slow breath noting that the rest of the class had approached and were hovering at hearing range.

"Meet Amelia Isabel but we just call her Mia" Levi said coolly and watched as all of Eren's friends cooed and sighed in happiness as they edged in closer even Reiner and Bertolt getting a little worked up over the tiny little girl.

"Oh she's so sweet" Marco sighed.

"She looks like Eren" Ymir whispered her voice sounding oddly pleased at that, Levi would have to process that one later.

"She's so small... I hope she doesn't get your height, Captain" Connie said and then flushed at the words that spilled out and backed away from Levi's glare.

"Wouldn't matter" Annie said softly joining in, "size is no guarantee of power". Levi actually smirked a little at that and nodded in agreement, his size had never stopped him doing anything before and he doubted Annie's height would stop her... and if Mia ended up short well, Levi could imagine a thousand worse things than being vertically challenged.

"Alright, enough" Levi called out, loud enough to reach everyone but not to wake Mia. They all ran off and got into formation with Levi standing at the front, he breathed in and something clicked inside him- he was back where he belonged and it felt amazing.

"Today we're going to play a game" Levi started raising his eyes to meet each and every recruit now staring at him in surprise, he lowered his voice and it took on a dangerous edge, "it's called wake the child and you run until you puke. I've had almost no sleep in three weeks, she's finally taking a nap and so all of you will proceed to train in absolute silence or you won't live to see the sun rise tomorrow".

If the recruits thought him having a kid would soften him up they were wildly mistaken and the next hour of training proved it. It was the most brutal they'd ever done with only Annie, Reiner, Bert and surprisingly Marco keeping pace with him- who still had a sleeping baby clutched against his chest, by the way. Levi couldn't help but think Mia was a strange child- she would stay asleep during a workout, not even shift while Levi was actually running laps and then wouldn't flinch at the smacks and thuds of mock fighting. But the moment he or Eren tried to put her down or move away she would wake up and cry bloody murder.

She woke up eventually just as Levi moved them onto practice new manoeuvres in one on one fights, she was well rested now though and Levi let out a sigh of relief as she blinked her blue eyes open to look up at him.

"Hi there, beautiful" Levi said softly and stopped what he was doing to look at her, she gurgled up at him while kicking her feet and waving her hands around. He only had a moment of bliss before he smelt it though and he wrinkled his nose in disgust, "really, Mia? And I was actually happy to see you" he grouched in a teasing voice.

She just wriggled some more and flapped her hands around obviously excited to find herself awake and already being cuddled.

Levi looked up and snapped at his audience, "Partner off and practice for the next five minutes" he called out and without another word walked over to where he'd left Mia's bag. He knelt beside it and started unpacking everything he needed, blanket for her to lie on, new diaper, wipes and powder. He got to work, changing her like a pro and cleaning her up until she smelled fresh again. He threw the diaper off to the side and made a note to throw it away later while he dug out a warm bottle of milk from her bag- it wasn't ideal but better than letting Mia go hungry and start crying.

He fed Mia as he walked back to the recruits and simultaneously taught them while feeding her, they weren't very focused though and they kept missing what he was saying in order to stare at him feeding his kid. He hated to admit he understood their curiosity though, the first time he'd seen Eren feeding Mia he had almost died on the spot- it had been so domestic and natural and the way Eren grinned up at him- fuck it had been like looking into the sun.

"I know my daughter is wildly entertaining" Levi drawled and that brought everyone's attention back to him, "but sadly she isn't about to show you how to disarm a soldier with only her feet".

It was really only a party trick on his part- insanely difficult and annoying to understand the process- but it was one of the only things he could think of to get his recruits to pay attention rather than stare at Mia even though he'd probably prefer to be staring at Mia as well.

The rest of class was interesting- with Mia awake the recruits were back to almost full volume and with the difficult manoeuvre to learn there were plenty of shouts and curses filling the air. Levi had been worried that the noise and people would scare Mia but he hadn't needed too, she loved all of it and everytime they approached someone and Levi spoke to them she wriggled around excitedly.

Levi had moved her so her head was on his shoulder and he was almost certain he had spit up down his back (no one mentioned it though and in that moment Levi knew he had trained them well). At the end of class Levi was exhausted but they made their way back into the dining hall for lunch- Levi fed Mia again and listened to the conversations going on around him (an absurd amount involving himself, Eren and Mia) and with a clear afternoon and nothing pressing to do he made his escape to his office trying to avoid wide eyed soldiers wanting to meet the newest member of Trost Military.

He tried to do some paperwork, he really did, but he ended up playing with Mia on the floor. She started to yawn and nod off again and Levi followed soon after. He curled around her protectively, a hand firmly on her stomach to make sure she didn't move and watched as she breathed in and out. He was exhausted, yes, but happy. Happier than he'd ever been even in the best moments of his life and he knew he had Eren to thank- he wouldn't be here if not for Eren. Those were the last thoughts to cross his mind as he closed his eyes and followed his daughter into unconsciousness.


	44. Crazy For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapters a bit late but I hope you enjoy!

"Levi Ackerman get your scrawny ass up off the floor!"

Levi woke with a start instantly opening his eyes and tightening his grip on his now awake and wriggling daughter. He sat up swiftly and pulled her close to his chest and started murmuring soothing words in her ear to calm her down and ease her before she started crying. 

Mia was gurgling against his shirt happily when he finally turned to the angry voice at the door to glare at the intruder but he stilled at the look Hange was giving him. She stood in the door to his office her hands on her hips and a scowl of outrage so deep on her face Levi had to physically stop himself from shifting further away from her. He'd only ever seen her this angry twice and he'd hoped never to be on the receiving end of one of those looks.

"Hange-" Levi tried, his voice raspy from sleep and his brain still playing catch up. What could he have possibly done? 

"No. Not a word from you. I don't want to hear it" Hange said, her voice low and dangerous, dripping with anger.

"What-" Levi started, now feeling a little worried, but Hange interrupted again.

"You left Eren" she snarled and with those three words Levi felt his whole body go cold. He hadn't sent anyone to look after Eren. He had completely forgotten about Eren.

"Fuck" Levi said obviously freaking out now, he held Mia a little closer as his brain went over every worst case scenario in his head while he waited for Hange to fill him in. Was Eren OK? Had something bad happened? He'd left him alone and sick in their room and hadn't checked on him all day. He felt cold all over- guilt pooling in his stomach and worry consuming his thoughts.

How could he have been so thoughtless as not to look after Eren? He'd been thinking only of their daughter and her safety and comfort but what about Eren? He'd made promises to his husband and as the seconds ticked by he realized he'd failed Eren yet again- he hadn't protected the person he loved.

"He's safe" Hange finally relented her voice softening a touch, she must have seen the severe panic that had taken over Levi's expression and wanted to at least give him something. Levi felt the weight in his stomach lift a little at knowing Eren was at least safe but as Hange continued to glare he knew he'd royally fucked up something else so he rubbed a hand over Mia's back and waited for Hange to rip him a new one knowing he deserved it.

"last I saw your husband is currently throwing up so violently he can't move" Hange snarled and Levi shuddered, his whole body itching to get up and run to Eren, "he was miserable and hurting and _you_ left him alone".

"Fuck" Levi winced and as Hange paused for breath he stood up and tried to make his way passed her- he needed to be with Eren. But Hange didn't let him pass and continued to scowl at him.

"So now you're going to hand me your daughter without argument and then run back to him" Hange snarled and Levi felt himself tearing apart- he needed to be with Eren but... what about Mia? Could he actually leave her in someone else's care? He'd never really been separated from her before and he wasn't sure he could do it now.

"Hange I-" Levi started but he actually didn't know what he was going to say. Was he going to leave his daughter in someone else's protection or was he going to let Eren suffer alone while he was in pain. He physically didn't think he could do either.

"Give me Amelia" Hange warned but as Levi glared back at her without giving an inch she let out a little sigh and calmed her voice down, "Levi, listen to me, no one- especially me- is going to hurt your little girl. I'm going to take her directly to Erwin's office where the two of us are going to do paperwork for the rest of the afternoon, she will constantly be watched by Erwin and myself and probably your own squad as well. She is the most protected person on this base and I promise no harm will come to her".

She took another breath and the danger came back to her voice, "Eren, however, has been alone all day until I went to see him to try and bring him food and found him passed out from exhaustion on the bathroom floor. He woke up only to throw up, he can't keep food down and he's been all by himself all day. Eren needs you more than Mia does right now and I don't care what either of you think- sometimes you have to put yourself first. Sometimes you have to put your own health over the need to keep your daughter close and right now you have to trust your friends to take care of her while you take care of him".

Levi wasn't really breathing as he listened to Hange. He knew she was right, he knew Eren needed him more than Amelia, he knew where he had to be at that moment but it was so hard to hear.

Hange had stopped talking and was just glaring at him and waiting for him to respond, he took a moment to gather himself up- he took in a deep breath and hugged Mia close to him before stepping forward and carefully handing her over to Hange's waiting arms.

Hange breathed a sigh of relief when Levi finally let go, she tucked Mia close to her and rocked her a little to keep her calm before looking up at Levi.

"I really thought you were going to be a total idiot and refuse to let me help" Hange said.

"I was very close" Levi admitted, his arms felt empty and useless without the comforting weight of his daughter but he knew he had somewhere more important to be.

"Go, Levi, I've got her" Hange said and Mia seemed to agree as she made a happy little gurgling noise and raised a little fist towards Hange's face. Levi took one last long look at Mia and then sprinted out of his office, he ran down the hall and passed a few people who turned to stare before he was finally at his door. He paused before he went in- the guilt he felt at leaving Eren alone, at actually forgetting to check on him, was consuming him and he felt it all through his body.

He pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside, making his way towards the sounds of retching in the bathroom. He winced at the horribly scratchy sounds Eren was making knowing that Eren probably had nothing in his body to throw up but his body still making him go through the motions.

"You're quite disgusting when you're sick" came a voice from the bathroom that definitely wasn't Eren's and Levi winced again letting the guilt overwhelm him. If  _he_ was here and actually comforting Eren then Levi knew for sure he had done something unforgivable.

'Fuck off, Jean".

And oh fuck. That was Eren's voice. It was horribly raspy and broken, he sounded so sore and miserable that Levi couldn't move from his spot he felt so terrible at ever having left. Why couldn't he have just gotten the fuck over his protective instincts and asked Hange to look after Mia today - he could have been with Eren then.

Levi took slow steps forward until he reached the bathroom, neither of the boys inside had heard him approach so he was able to stop in silence in the doorway and take in the scene in front of him before making himself known.

Eren was slumped over the toilet looking ten times worse than he had that morning, his face pale and sweaty and his eyes bloodshot while his whole body shivered violently. Jean was next to him rubbing his back with a mix of disgust and genuine concern on his face as he watched Eren carefully, he was trying to pull a blanket around Eren's shoulders at the same time he was trying to comfort Eren with soothing motions.

Levi couldn't stand it anymore, the fact that Jean was here and looking after Eren in his stead was too much- he should be the one rubbing Eren's back and making sure he was warm and wiping his face with a cloth.

"Eren, I'm-" he started, his voice soft and full of pain. Eren and Jean turned to him instantly and he felt his heart flutter at the look Eren gave him- it was full of love and happiness and a genuine joy at seeing him. Jean, however, gave him a glare to rival Hange's.

Before Jean could say a word, Levi caught Eren's expression falter as he stared, his eyes going from Levi's empty arms and back up to his face.

"Where's Mia?" he asked, his voice stronger but still coming out scratchy.

"With Hange and Erwin" Levi said softly and stepped in to the bathroom only to kneel on the floor beside Eren and pull him in for a tight hug- not caring in the slightest if Eren threw up on him, "I'm sorry, Eren, I'm so sorry... I should have been here".

He heard Jean let out a snort of agreement from behind him but didn't care as Eren leaned in to him and tightened his arms over Levi's back, actually trying to comfort Levi instead of being comforted.

"S'Ok" Eren mumbled, "I want'd Mia with you".

Levi shook his head and felt Hange's words ring through his head again, "No... you should have come first today... and I left you... Eren, I _forgot_ to get someone to look after you".

It took Eren a moment to answer but when he did his voice was soft but firm, "I forgive you-"

"No, you-" Levi tried but Eren talked over him.

"I forgive you because I can't say I wouldn't have done the same... if you were sick I would have taken Mia away and honestly, I can't say for sure I would have remembered to get help... Mia was with you all day and that makes me feel better- I knew she was safe even if I felt horrible" Eren finished quietly.

"Eren, I-" Levi started but yet again was interrupted.

"No, Levi, I won't hear it" Eren said sounding vaguely similar to Hange, "I know how tired we both are- I forgot to put pants on yesterday and I know you forgot to eat- so, it's OK.... you're here now so-"

Eren stopped talking and pulled away from Levi to lean over the toilet and heave. Levi scooted in close and rubbed his back while making soft, soothing noises usually saved for Mia but working surprising well on his husband too.

"You two are pathetic" Jean grumbled irritably but the scowl was gone from his expression, "get some fucking sleep, be human again and leave your fucking rooms. Fuck, it's not that hard... I reckon you two make it so much harder than it needs to be".

"Probably" Eren grumbled into the toilet bowl and Levi huffed out a little breath, he was calming down a little now he was back with Eren and knew for certain he was OK but he couldn't stop thinking about Amelia. He knew logically she was safe- probably safer with Erwin and Hange than her thoroughly sleep deprived parents- but he couldn't stop worrying. It hit him then that he would probably never stop worrying about her whether she was three weeks old and a floor down or thirty and living far away from them- it wasn't a thought he liked all that much.

"I'm leaving- don't let him die" Jean said and it sounded off-hand but Levi heard the warning there, the real threat that if something happened to Eren Levi would have to deal with Jean. Somehow the warning made him feel better rather than annoyed- he liked knowing Eren had friends that would do anything to keep him safe.

After Jean left Levi focused entirely on Eren. He rubbed his back when he was being sick, he offered him sips of water to wash out any foul taste in his mouth and finally he fell asleep with his head in Levi's lap and Levi's hands carding through his sweat soaked hair.

 

***

 

"I don't know what those two idiots are doing but she's such a good baby" Hange cooed. She'd done no work since she'd returned to the office she was sharing with Erwin for the afternoon only having time to coo at and play with Mia.

"Maybe it has something to do with them having her for 24 hours a day, seven days a week while you've had her for" Erwin paused to look at his watch, "a whole 37 minutes".

"Nope, I don't think that's it... I think she just likes me better" Hange said but at that exact moment Mia decided to spit up all down Hange's back.

"I think Amelia disagrees" Erwin stated calmly while Hange just laughed it off and put Mia back on her blanket on the floor so she could clean herself up. It was while Hange was begging Erwin to clean the spot on her back that she couldn't reach when they got a knock on their door.

Hange looked to Erwin and Erwin looked to the door and sighed, "three guesses what they want". Hange grinned and went to the door, throwing it open and letting in the two people who stood outside.

"Hi, Hange" Petra said cheerily but her eyes were on Amelia on the floor and Hange was laughing again, she knew exactly what these two wanted or _who_ they wanted.

"You two seem awfully busy this afternoon" was Sasha's attempt at keeping her cool but her eyes were on Mia as well, "we thought maybe we could give you a hand".

"Oh, you two want to do paperwork, huh?" Hange teased, "why didn't you say so! Come on in, there's lots to go around".

Petra looked to Sasha while Sasha just pouted  and kept talking, "well, I don't think I can do _that_ paperwork... we thought we could take care of Amelia".

"It's OK, she's such a good baby she barely needs watching" Hange answered with a smirk.

Sasha caved after that, "please, Hange! Levi and Eren have been keeping her all to themselves and I want to see her".

Hange raised and eyebrow and Petra sighed, "we can keep her safe, we just want to see her and hold her".

"We?" Hange asked thinking that 'we' didn't just imply herself and Sasha.

"Look, the whole base wants to meet her properly but at the moment it's just Eren's friends and Levi's squad- some of them are getting a little frustrated they haven't met their niece yet" Petra said with a smile and Hange laughed at that. Of course all of Eren and Levi's friends would think of Mia as family- she was going to grow up here so in all honesty the soldiers on base were here family- extended family but still family.

"Alright, I give" Hange said, Petra grinned while Sasha cheered, "bring everyone to the common room and I'll bring the little Princess down".

"Oh, wow, I didn't think of it like that" Petra said softly, her eyes back on Amelia, "she is actually a princess".

"Our very own" Hange said softly.

 

***

 

Mia was met with wide smiles and awed expressions from the people in the room. She'd only really been seen from a distance or from Levi's arms but now she was fully amongst them and everyone got to hold her. 

Petra was first almost immediately taking her from Hange when they arrived and looking down at her with such fondness it was clear how much she loved her Captain's daughter, she was whisked away five minutes later by Sasha who was dying to hold her but when she finally got her hands on her she freaked out and sat so still she was practically a statue- it was the stillest she had ever been in her life.

Letting the boys hold her was amusing for everyone. She looked so tiny in their arms, especially Reiner and Bert, and their faces transformed into the softest looks anyone had ever seen. From the minute she arrived she was so completely loved and not just by Eren and Levi, all of their friends had taken her on as well and it would be almost impossible to remove them from Mia's life.

"I think I get why they've been so overprotective now" Ymir murmured, she held Mia carefully and a little awkwardly, "if I was responsible for someone so small I don't think I'd ever let them out of my sight". There were murmurs of agreement around the room and then Connie sat down next to Ymir and asked for a turn.

"God, she's so tiny... she doesn't weigh anything" Connie whispered in disbelief while he held her.

"She looks so much like Eren it's scary" Jean commented when it was his turn to hold the little girl after Connie, Petra peered of his shoulder and smirked.

"Is it weird for me to think she looks like Levi too?" she teased but there were a surprising amount of nods around the room.

"I thought so too! She has Levi's nose and if her eyes don't change to green they'll look more like Levi's than Eren's" Sasha exclaimed.

"She doesn't look anything like Historia" Ymir pointed out softly and the room went quiet.

Historia was a bit of an awkward point for all of them at the moment. After she had recovered from giving birth she'd retired to her rooms and hadn't seen anyone but Ymir and Hange. They said she was getting better, that what she went through was too much to process quickly and that she just needed time and distance but they were all a little worried. She was talking of leaving the base and they all feared they'd wake up one day to a note saying goodbye and then they'd never see her again- Ymir promised them that wouldn't happen, that slowly the little blonde was getting better and working through what had happened but it wasn't going to be fast.

"That's probably a good thing" Marco said breaking the silence, "if she looks like Eren it's probably easier to forget or to move on".

"I'm glad she doesn't look like Historia" Ymir said quietly, "that would have made it harder".

The room went quiet and they all just stared at Mia in contemplation, it was strange but apparently the universe had decided to give everyone involved a break and let Amelia look like her father instead. There were small traces of Historia in the shape of her eyes and ears but it was overlooked by the definitive way she took after Eren and stranger still how she managed to have a few of Levi's feature (although they all put that down to dumb luck).

"Do you think they're going to freak if they find out about this?" Connie asked into the quiet and the silence transformed into something a little more wary, they were all aware of Levi's temperament and how he was likely to react but Eren was the unknown.

"Best not to let them find out" Jean finally piped up sounding strangely panicked, "you don't want to see Eren when he's angry".

"He's scary?" Petra asked, honestly curious.

"Let's just say he can rival Levi when he really gets going" Jean admitted making everyone in the room wince slightly.

"So, we keep this little gathering a secret then?" Sasha said and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well, I guess that depends on how you explain it?" said an amused yet firm voice from the doorway and everyone swiveled to take in the intruder. Or well, intruders, really.

Princess Mikasa Ackerman stood in the doorway with an unreadable expression on her face and her eyes locked on the baby now safe in Marco's arms. Armin Arlert stood beside her looking remarkably less stern and even smiling as he stared at Marco and Amelia.

"Mikasa! Armin! What are you doing here?" Jean called out, breaking the silence and jumping to his feet to run over and greet them. He slapped Armin over the back and pulled Mikasa into a quick hug before standing back and smiling at them happily. Mikasa raised an eyebrow in an excellent imitation of Levi and regarded Jean dryly.

"We came to see Amelia" Armin said cheerily and nudged Mikasa to snap her out of the condescending look she was giving jean.

"Of course... right" Jean said awkwardly and stepped aside to let both of them further into the room.

"Should I ask why my niece is here rather than with her parents?" Mikasa asked no one in particular but surprisingly Annie was the one that answered.

"Eren's sick. They're both exhausted, so we're giving them a break" she said coolly. Mikasa nodded at the answer and made her way over to Marco, her eyes only on Amelia and nothing and nobody else.

"Can I hold her?" she murmured, her voice coloured in excitement and anticipation. She'd left as soon as she possibly could after receiving Eren's letter and knowing her niece was here and waiting to meet her, she'd left Maria in the capable hands of Pixis, Brzenska and Dok in order to come here. She didn't know how long she could stay but she had desperately needed to come, her and Armin both needed to be here to meet their new family member.

Mikasa sat down next to Marco and Marco carefully passed Amelia over, letting Mikasa gather her up in her arms and cradle the baby against her chest. The warmth seeped into her and Amelia's smell filled her nose, she was awake and blinking up at her aunt with her feet kicking at the blanket she was wrapped in.

"Hi, Amelia" Mikasa whispered softly, her hand rising to run gently over Amelia's face and down her nose. She felt Armin come close and lean over her to look as well. "I'm your Auntie Mika and this is Armin... we're your family".

"Hi, Mia" Armin murmured and then smiled when Mia turned to find him, "I'm going to tell you so many embarrassing stories about your daddy when you're older". There was scattered laughter around the room at Armin's words and the tenseness at the sudden appearance of Mikasa and Armin was lifted. 

"I have heaps of those too, kid" Jean called out and the laughter started to get slightly louder.

"I have loads about Levi" Hange pitched in with an evil grin, "lots of blackmail material from you Aunt Hange".

"All of which your parents will kill us if they knew we told you" Mikasa said smiling softly and laughing happily when Amelia made a little squeaking noise, "so you'll have to keep them a secret".

Mikasa finally looked up from Amelia's face and locked eyes with Hange, "Eren's sick?"

"Just a stomach bug plus lack of sleep, I think, nothing too serious" Hange answered, "had to wrestle Mia away from Levi to get him to go and look after Eren".

"Hmm, if I know my brother he probably told Levi to leave him and take care of Amelia" Mikasa said with a fond eyeroll.

"Thanks for stepping in" Armin said, "they can both get pretty stubborn... probably worse when it comes to Amelia".

Hange snorted, "you've got no idea... they won't let her out of their sight unless they are literally passed out in bed".

"It'd be sad if it wasn't really endearing" Petra piped up to the mumbled agreement of everyone else.

"Did you two just get in?" Gunther asked.

"Just then" Armin answered, "we brought a small party with us, they're moving things to our rooms. We would've helped but well, we wanted to meet Amelia as soon as possible".

"Yeah, we were headed up to Eren's rooms when we heard you guys in here" Mikasa said, her voice going softer as Mia started to fall asleep, "we opened the door and there she was".

"Probably for the best you found us first" Jean commented with a grimace, "Eren's pretty nasty when he's sick".

"Oh yeah..." Mikasa said with a similar look of distaste, "I forgot how he gets".

"Maybe best to leave him to Levi" Armin said, "he might even be nice to Levi".

"You best not turn out like your daddy when you're sick" Mikasa whispered to Mia, who was sleeping soundly in her arms.

"Try not to get sick at all, OK kid" Armin pitched in, "your parents'll worry so much it'll probably be the death of them".

"Very true" Mikasa said nodding seriously, "listen to your uncle Armin- he's always right".

Hange watched as Mikasa and Armin continued talking to Mia even though she was asleep, Mikasa eventually handed her over so Armin could hold her but not five minutes later and she was back in Mikasa's arm. Mikasa was obsessed- not as bad as Eren and Levi- but she was completely enchanted by her niece and Hange watched as her face changed and set into an expression she knew well.

It was a look Levi and Eren had gotten soon after Mia was born- it was a look so fierce and protective and that no one should ever cross if they valued their life. Mikasa would protect Amelia with everything she had just like Eren and Levi and Hange felt sorry- if only for a moment- for King Grisha if he ever tried to do something to interfere with their lives. Hange knew that if he could see the way those three looked at Amelia he would think twice before trying to hurt them and if he did, well, he would regret it in the end.

"Probably time for her nap" Hange said softly and Mikasa finally glanced up to look at Hange and nodded.

"I can take her" Mikasa said and it almost sounded like a challenge, a dare to anyone trying to take her niece away from her.

"I'll show you the way then, we set up a temporary room for her upstairs" Hange said, "don't want her catching anything if Eren's contagious".

"I'm coming too" Armin said his jaw set in determination, Hange almost laughed at their effort knowing she would never have told them they couldn't go.

"Field trip it is then" Hange teased, she picked up Levi's forgotten baby bag while Mikasa got carefully to her feet and the three of them traipsed out of the room and up to Mia's temporary nursery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More action next chapter plus Mikasa and Levi are going to have a practice fight and Eren and Historia are going to have a chat :P


	45. Sunday Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I'm soo sorry this is late!!! But it's done now and I promise I'm trying really hard to update as quick as I can!!

Eren watched as Levi slept, his skin fair and creamy and his face finally relaxed. It had been 48 hours since he'd first started throwing up and only in the last 6 hours had he actually started feeling better.

It had been almost two days of bowing his head over the toilet bowl to throw up and having Levi try to get him to drink water or eat dry biscuits. He hadn't been able to sleep because of the roiling in his stomach but because he wasn't eating much he never had anything to throw up- he ended up just going through the motions.

Levi had stayed up with him the whole time, wiping his head with a wet cloth and just talking to him in low whispers. Telling him sweet stories of his earlier days with Farlan and Isabel- how they had all met in detail and the time they had spent together before joining the military. He told Eren stories about Hange and Erwin and how they met and their earlier missions together, he did however avoid any talk of the actual fighting.

And he talked about Mia, he talked endlessly about their daughter, filling Eren in on their excursion outside their rooms and how Hange had yelled at him when he'd fallen asleep in his office. 

Eren loved the stories, he loved the way Levi talked and how his voice changed when he spoke about the people he loved- it made him wonder how Levi sounded when he spoke about Eren. 

He looked beautiful in the morning light with his fair skin against the pillow and his hair splayed out over his face and pieces falling over his eyes. Eren smiled softly and moved his fingers to Levi's face to lightly brush the pieces away and out of his husbands eyes. Eren smiled softly and moved his fingers to Levi''s face to lightly brush the pieces away and out of his husband's eyes.

He didn't move as Eren ran his fingers over Levi's temple and down his cheek. He didn't even flinch as Eren began carding his fingers through Levi's hair, he did make a little sighing sound as Eren shifted his body closer and pressed a soft kiss to Levi's nose but he didn't wake up. The silence in their room made everything clearer for Eren, made his every move bigger and more important and cleared his mind in a way little else could. For a moment it felt like it was only him and Levi in the entire world.

He pressed another kiss to Levi's nose and laughed lightly as Levi scrunched his nose and lifted his hand to swipe at his face, still fast asleep. Eren moved in closer and kissed his lips, softly at first, just a brush of his lips against Levi's. It was only when Eren started to trace the creases on Levi's lips with his tongue that Levi's eyes finally flickered open.

"Morning sleepy" Eren whispered against his lips and kissed him again, a little firmer this time.

"You're feeling better then?" Levi whispered back, his voice raspy from sleep, the moment Eren released his lips.

"Much better" Eren said with a grin, he moved his hand to cup Levi's face stealing another kiss, smirking as he heard Levi moan into his mouth.

"This is... Mm, a nice way to wake up" Levi murmured between kisses, his hands moving up to hold Eren's face steady and keep his lips locked to his own.

"I love you" Eren breathed out.

Levi paused for a moment to pull back and take in his husband, his smile lit up his whole face and made him look younger and more healthy than he had in the last few days. His hair was rumpled from sleep and his eyes had that same mischievous glint to them that he often got when he wanted something badly and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not that Levi ever wanted to say no to Eren anyway.

Levi sighed feeling instantly more awake and loving that rush of adrenaline that was seeping into his veins, he propped his head up a little and leaned back in to kiss Eren deeper, revelling in the warmth of their bodies tangled together under the blankets and the sound of Eren's heart thumping against his chest. 

"I think... I love you more... and more... every day" Levi murmured between more fervent kisses and Eren grinned wider. His teeth tapped against Levi's as he started to laugh lightly but Levi just kissed him deeper and slowly rolled them over so Eren's back was flat against the mattress and Levi's hips were flush against his own.

"You woke up quickly" Eren teased in a low voice, his hand travelling up Levi's chest.

"How could I not... with you here" Levi whispered and then swiped his tongue further into Eren's mouth and ground his hips against Eren's making the brunette groan and completely forget what he was about to say.

Eren ran his hand up Levi's back and under his shirt pulling the fabric up inch by inch until it was bunched up under his shoulders, Eren couldn't move it any further not without Levi moving his arms but Levi was occupied with trying to take off Eren's own shirt. Eren started laughing as they hit a stand still with both of them vigorously trying to remove the others shirt but not able to pull it any further than the others shoulders.

"Levi..." Eren murmured with another tug on his shirt, "move your arms".

"Move yours" Levi murmured back pulling up Eren's shirt a little more.

"You first" Eren said with a smirk as he let his hand trail back down Levi's chest and dip under the fabric of his underwear. Long finger's trailed over Levi's ass and dug in tightly to pull him in as close as he could, thrusting his hips up a little to rub against Levi's.

"You make..." Levi started before dipping in and kissing Eren again, "a convincing argument".

Eren grinned as Levi moved his arms and let Eren remove his shirt in one quick movement before Levi's own hands were back on Eren and tugging the fabric up and over Eren's head and throwing it to the floor. Before Eren could go any further Levi had already pounced, his hands moving under the band of Eren's underwear and pulling it down and over Eren's legs. Eren sighed as Levi kissed his way down Eren's body, his lips trailing over Eren's neck and collarbones, his chest and stomach, and finally resting on his hips.

Eren let his hands slide through Levi's hair, pulling gently at strands every time Levi's tongue darted out to taste Eren's skin. He was going to enjoy every moment he had with Levi this morning and he knew that if it was at all possible he was going to make sure they had a night to themselves at least once a week. He had his eyes closed, letting the feeling of Levi consume him, he couldn't think straight anymore- couldn't think of anything except bringing Levi closer and having Levi fill him entirely. He needed Levi inside him like he needed air to breathe- he hadn't gone this long without Levi's touch before but since Mia had been born they'd just been too tired for more than casual pecks on the cheek or chaste kisses in greeting.

He felt himself burning with the familiar feeling of Levi's body against his own, felt his heart thump loudly when Levi moved his mouth from his hip and over his length in smooth movements. He gave himself over to the warmth of Levi's mouth and the pressure that always felt so good, his back rose a little off the bed with each swipe of Levi's tongue and his hands found purchase in Levi's hair, keeping him grounded.

"Levi..." Eren moaned as Levi flicked his tongue across his tip, he was achingly hard and he knew where Levi was headed but he wanted more. He wanted to feel Levi inside him when he came and he needed Levi's lips on his own again, to see as he shivered with pleasure and watch as his eyes flashed with want.

"Levi... I want you" Eren murmured and moved his hips a little so Levi would understand. Levi peered up at him, his mouth still obviously occupied, but his cheeks were flushed pink and his eyes were a few shades darker. Levi began moving his hands, his tongue still curling and flicking around Eren's length, but his fingers seeking something entirely different. Eren gasped when Levi found what he was after, a slim finger pressing inside and moving dangerously slow, teasing and tempting.

"Please..." Eren felt himself moan, his voice raspy and uneven, he couldn't believe how fast Levi was undoing him. He was unravelling so quickly he barely knew what was happening, he could only concentrate on the feel of Levi's mouth on him and his finger inside him, completely surrendering to his husband.

Levi took his time, his fingers exploring and his tongue teasing, he wanted to enjoy the moment with Eren and not rush their limited amount of alone time. It was only when he felt that Eren was completely pliant and ready for him did he move his mouth away and shifted Eren a little bringing his hips flush against his own and twining Eren's long legs around his waist.

Eren moved greedily, his legs pulling Levi in close and his arms wrapping themselves around Levi's neck to draw his lips back up. Levi was smiling softly as his hands rested on Eren's hips and his lips recaptured his husband's- as he kissed Eren he slowly pushed forward and buried himself inside. Their voices and breath mixed together as Eren felt Levi inside him, he was too full and on edge to do more than groan and rake his nails down Levi's back to try and calm down.

Levi let his head fall to Eren's shoulder and stopped any movement on his end, they were both breathing heavily as they waited. Waited for Levi to come back from a precarious edge and waited for Eren to feel completely comfortable.

"You can move" Eren whispered as his eyes flicked open, glinting with specks of gold, and his mouth turning up in a slight smile. He loved how Levi always paused, always waited to make sure he was OK before he kept going and even after three weeks of nothing but quick kisses, Levi still had the control and strength to put Eren's needs first.

But as Eren gave him the OK to move, Levi moved. His hips thrust forward and made Eren gasp and grip tighter at Levi's shoulder. They went slow at first, Levi only doing enough to keep them right on that blissful edge. They moved together in a way that felt natural and so good that it made them forget everything but the feel of skin against skin, how their breath mingled together and the way their bodies just seemed to fit.

They found their release together with Eren's back arching up off the mattress and Levi's fingers leaving marks on Eren's skin. There was nothing but the sound of their heartbeats and shallow breaths and for the two of them it felt like a perfect moment. They could just lie together and breathe and not think about anything, they had no worries and no stress just the feeling as the pleasure left their bodies.

 

***

 

"I've missed this" Eren sighed as he shifted his body closer to Levi's on the lounge. They had finally risen from bed only to shower and scavenge for food, they didn't really want to do more than stay bundled together under warm blankets but their bodies demanded attention and the real world was waiting for them just outside.

So, while Levi had stripped the bed and cleaned up their very neglected bedroom, Eren had pulled the blankets off the top and moved them over to the lounge. He had then pulled Levi from their room and over to the lounge so they could use whatever alone time they had left to cuddle together under a mountain of blankets. 

"The kid is far more distracting than I thought" Levi said with a fond smile.

Eren laughed and then sighed softly, "I miss her".

"Me too" Levi agreed.

"I need her back" Eren said but he nuzzled his head closer to Levi and didn't make any attempt to actually get up

"We should go rescue her from Hange" Levi said.

"Or maybe rescue Hange from her" Eren teased softly, "I can't imagine she's been very good with strangers".

"Hange may never babysit again" Levi said actually sounding mildly worried through the teasing.

"Yeah, or-" Eren started but got cut off by a loud rapping at the door. They looked at each other and then over to the door and back again, Eren was sure it was Hange trying to return their daughter but he wasn't sure he was ready to give up his little slice of peace with Levi.

"Come in", Levi sighed and shifted himself so he sat up straighter but he didn't get up or let Eren move out of his position leaning against Levi's chest. Eren let out a little breath at having their privacy invaded but a thrill of excitement ran through him at the very real possibility his daughter was on the other side of that door and he was going to see her and hold her for the first time in two days.

What he didn't expect was Mikasa to walk in holding his daughter with Armin and Hange close behind, all of them smiling at the look of shock and surprise covering Eren and Levi's faces. Eren did however have his priorities straight and as much as he missed his sister he needed to hold his daughter more.

He just opened his arms and Mikasa stepped forward to pass Mia over. As soon as he felt her familiar weight settle in his arms he breathed out a sigh of relief he hadn't known he'd been holding on to and just took a moment to breathe in her sweet smell and focus on her little face.

She was awake and looking directly up at Eren her eyes slightly more green now than the blue-grey of two days ago, her pink lips twitched up a little and her chocolate brown hair was starting to curl on the ends. Eren couldn't look away knowing for sure that two days apart from her was much too long, he felt Levi lean in next to him and his hand reached out to take hers and hold it tightly.

"Hi, sweetheart" Eren murmured and at his voice he was almost positive she actually smiled.

"Eren... she's smiling. She's smiling, right?" Levi asked sounding very much in awe of a little lip twitch.

"Definitely, she's totally smiling" Eren confirmed, his own smile growing impossibly wide, "she missed her parents... didn't you, sweetie?"

"I think she just has gas" Hange dropped in but Eren and Levi ignored her in favour of concentrating on Mia.

"Uh, hello?" Mikasa teased as she tapped Eren's shoulder, it was the first time she'd seen her brother with his daughter and it was breaking down all of her walls. He was so openly in love with that little girl, his eyes brighter and completely focused on her. Levi too was a different person, more open than she'd ever seen him before, smiling small and genuine down at her while he played with her fingers.

It took both of them a full thirty seconds to even look away from her and up at Mikasa, but she didn't mind, just smiling fondly at her little brother. 

"Hi" Eren said with a grin shifting Mia into one arm so he could embrace Mikasa with the other, "I didn't even know you were here!"

"We got here like two days ago and they told us you were sick" Mikasa said as she hugged Eren back tightly, "so we just decided to spend some time with Mia instead".

"How was she?" Levi asked addressing Mikasa but his eyes were flicking over to Hange making the rest of them not entirely sure which 'she' he was referring too.

"Foul" Hange replied narrowing her eyes at Levi when he smirked.

"She was pretty bad the last 12 hours or so" Mikasa expanded while Eren hugged Mia closer to his chest.

"She just wanted us, didn't you?" Eren cooed while Mia gurgled happily up at him not showing any signs of having been upset.

"Obviously" Hange said with a snort as Mia continued to gurgle happily and grab at Levi's fingers.

"She was really sweet to start with" Armin piped up meeting Eren's eyes with a smirk, "she looks just like you, too".

"She's got Levi's attitude though" Hange said with an eye roll while Levi snickered, "kept me up all of last night with her screaming".

"Hmm... that's my girl" Levi murmured while Eren, Mikasa and Armin listened on with amusement.

"You feeling better, little brother?" Mikasa asked softly.

"Much" Eren said, "nice to sleep in a little bit this morning... you know, relax".

Levi couldn't help the little snort he made at Eren's words but nobody except Armin actually seemed to notice and the blonde just rolled his eyes and smiled, obviously aware what Eren had been referring too.

"We were actually hoping you might be interested in babysitting once a week" Eren said looking to Hange, the brunette cringed in response making Levi laugh out loud. His daughter had apparently cured Hange of any lingering doubts that being a parent was easy.

She did however sigh and nod, "fine but I reserve the right to give her back at any time".

Eren grinned at Hange and finally moved Mia a little in his arms so that he could pass her over to Levi and stand up, Levi cuddled Mia against himself and watched as Eren got up and threw his arms around Mikasa properly. He hugged her tightly and then moved on to Armin, having to lean down quite a bit to reach the little blonde, and finally hugging Hange in thanks for everything she'd done over the last two days.

"I want some food" Eren exclaimed as he let Hange go, "I haven't eaten properly in like two days and I need something to eat".

"We can bring something up if you want" Mikasa offered, eyeing Levi and Mia sitting comfortably on the lounge, the little girl finally quiet and calm.

"Nah, I think I need to get out of this room" Eren said lightly, "give us like twenty minutes to change Mia and get her some food and then we can go down to breakfast".

"Fine, but if she starts crying she's all yours" Hange said only making Eren laugh good naturedly.

"Then you'll have to tell us everything that's happened both here and back in Maria" Eren said to Mikasa who nodded softly, they had a lot to catch up on but fortunately it could wait until a bit later.

 

***

 

They made it down to breakfast late, Eren and Levi getting distracted by their daughter as they tried to clean her up, feed her and change her tiny clothes. She was cooing and gurgling and kicking her feet in the air everytime one of them spoke and they knew she was just happy to be back with her parents.

They all made their way down to the mess hall as a group, Eren holding Mia not really wanting to give her up just yet after two days of separation. Levi walked close by Eren unconsciously grabbing at Mia's foot or fist needing that little bit of contact to know she was safe and finally back in his care. It was a happy group that walked into the hall with Eren laughing at something Armin said and Hange whining about being too tired to be awake right now and Mikasa and Levi sharing a smile as Mia made a happy noise at Eren's laughter.

The soldiers still eating breakfast looked up at their arrival noting the laughter and general cheeriness they brought in with them. Sasha saw them and started waving her arms, Reiner joining her to try and get them to come over.

"I'll get the food" Levi said when Eren met Sasha's eyes with an excited smile, Eren turned to Levi and kissed him on the cheek before walking straight over to his friend's table.

"Eren! How are you? We haven't seen you in ages! And oh my god, you have Mia! She's so cute, can I hold her again?!" Sasha babbled lightning fast, Eren barely caught any of it but at the word 'again' he paused and narrowed his eyes at the brunette.

"Again?" he questioned, the rest of the table went quiet and turned in unison to glare at Sasha.

"Shit, no not again... can I hold her? For the very first time ever?" Sasha said trying to sound convincing and failing.

"When did you hold her?" Eren asked seriously, he didn't think he minded other people holding his daughter but he would have liked to have been informed beforehand.

"I'm so sorry, Eren, it was when you were sick" Sasha spilled to the groans of Reiner and Ymir opposite her, "she was so cute and we hadn't even met her yet! You were keeping her all to yourself so I- I may have asked Hange if we could see her".

"And of course she caved" Eren muttered shooting an evil look in Hange's direction.

"Come on, Yeager, we're supposed to be your friends and yet we only got meet your daughter cause you were folded over a toilet seat and you weren't there to stop it" Jean said actually sounding a little hurt through the admonishment. Eren breathed in steadily and then out, loosening his grip on his daughter and carefully passing her over to Jean who just looked stunned.

"Sorry" Eren said still feeling a little guilty at forgetting his friends might actually like to be a part of Mia's life, it wasn't just him and Levi at all.

"It's OK Eren, we understand" Marco said kindly and offered Eren a smile.

"But we get to see her more now, right?" Reiner asked grinning at Mia, "you can't just let us have her for a few days and then take her away".

"I guess so" Eren sighed and sat down next to Jean to hold onto Mia's socked foot.

"She was a right devil last night" Connie pitched in to the enthusiastic nodding from everyone else, "heard her all the way from my room".

"Hange and your sister couldn't get her to sleep at all" Bert said sympathetically while shaking his head, "she was crying all night... I don't think Hange slept".

"I didn't and I don't plan on having kids any time soon if they're like that" Hange exclaimed, joining them and catching the tail end of the conversation.

"She just wanted me... didn't you, munchkin?" Eren cooed. Mia gurgled in approval to the loud laughter of everyone else.

"Alright, Kirstein, hand her back" Levi ordered as he came over and dropped his two trays down on the table in front of Eren and extended his arms toward Mia. Jean just smirked and handed Mia back to Levi, who comfortably lifted her up and leaned her against his chest, her head on his shoulder and her body against his chest with one arm wrapped protectively around her back. 

"So what do we have planned today?" Eren asked his eyes jumping from Mikasa to Armin and then to the rest of his friends, all of whom just shrugged.

"It's Sunday so um... nothing?" Sasha said finally while Eren processed her words. It was Sunday and he'd had no idea- he had completely lost track of the days since Mia had been born.

"I need to be outside" Eren said, "I'm really sick of my room".

"Me too" Levi muttered, he was managing to eat his breakfast neatly even if he only had one free hand, there was silence around the table after that with no one really knowing what to say next.

"I was hoping maybe Princess Mikasa could show me some techniques from Maria" was what finally broke the silence, stranger still it was Annie that said it.

"Oi, me too! I'd love to learn some stuff from Maria!" Reiner exclaimed.

"Hey! I've been here for ages and you never asked me to show you anything" Jean said, his face flushing red.

"Yeah, but that's 'cause you're like you... and Mikasa is well, _Mikasa_ " Connie pitched in making Eren and Levi snort in amusement and Mikasa flush slightly pink.

"Oi! I'm good!" Jean said aggressively and it was only Marco's hand on Jean's thigh that stopped him from standing up.

"Yeah but Mikasa is better" Sasha said easily while Jean fumed.

"She's definitely better than Jean but I reckon Captain Levi is still better than her" Ymir said. Everyone else was nodding their heads in agreement except for Annie and surprisingly Marco.

"I don't know... we've never seen her fight" Marco said cautiously. All of them had seemed to forget entirely that Levi and Mikasa were sitting like a metre away and could definitely hear everything they were saying.

"No way, Captain Levi would kill her" Reiner said.

"Mikasa is strong" Annie said softly, "stronger than any of us... she would put up a good fight".

"Now that's something I'd love to see" Sasha exclaimed her eyes clouding over at the thought.

"I know, right?!" Connie agreed.

What they missed though were the silent looks and soft smirks that Levi and Mikasa were sharing during their argument. They'd had an entire conversation in raised eyebrows and lip twitches as the recruits fought and finally settling on an agreement without saying a word.

"Guess that's settled then" Mikasa spoke up and everyone turned to her in surprise.

"Obviously" Levi replied, setting down his fork and passing Mia back to Eren before he stood up.

"Wait, what's happening? What's settled?" Hange asked in confusion, Eren had caught on a little quicker and started grinning at his husband and then his sister. He had wanted to see this for awhile and he hadn't even had to lift a finger to get it to happen, the rest of their table was still looking slightly confused although picking up what was happening as the minutes went by and Mikasa started to stretch and make her way outside.

Levi smirked and leaned down to whisper in Eren's ear, "this should be fun" before kissing him quickly and striding out after Mikasa.

"Oh, oh my God! They're going to fight!" Sasha exclaimed and pumped both her fists in the air.

"Come on, sweetie" Eren murmured to Mia with a wicked grin, "let's go see your Father and Auntie beat each other up".

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I promise Mikasa and Levi's fight this chapter but I wrote you guys some smut instead and the fight will defs happen next chapter as well as some Eren and Historia feels!! Hope you guys are still liking this :P And as always I'd love some feedback!!


	46. Collide

By the time Eren had gathered both Mia and her bag up he was the last one to leave the dining hall. Levi and Mikasa's abrupt exit had caused a wave of excitement throughout the room and everyone had quickly followed them out leaving Eren and Mia to trail along after the masses.

They left the hall and Eren clutched Mia a little tighter to his body at the cool wind that blew right through his hair. He paused just outside the door debating whether or not he should keep going or take Mia back into the building where it was warm and there was no wind but then he heard the cheers and laughter already coming from the training ground and he couldn't help grinning and walking towards the front.

The soldiers let him through so he could get right to the front where Armin had saved him a seat on one of the benches, he sat beside the little blonde and tucked Mia up on his lap so she was facing the centre of the circle the soldiers had made. 

"Hey, Ar, can you grab an extra blanket from my bag?" Eren asked, Armin just nodded and pulled out a fluffy green blanket to give to Eren.

"Thanks" Eren muttered, entirely focused on the blanket and wrapping it securely around Mia so she wouldn't feel the cold.

"Oh, this is going to be brilliant" Hange exclaimed as she flopped down in the last clear space beside Eren, her eyes intent on Levi and Mikasa a few metres away. Eren lifted his head and grinned, now that he was sure Mia was going to be safe and warm he wanted to watch what was happening. 

Levi was bent in half and stretching out his hamstrings while Mikasa was holding her arms over her head and stretching them out. Mikasa was staring at Levi with a kind of intensity that Eren very rarely saw- it was the kind of look she gave when she wanted something... wanted something so badly she was going to do everything she could to get it.

When Levi straightened up, however, he held the same neutral expression on his face that he usually wore. He wasn't even trying to intimidate Mikasa, he knew he had the talent to take her down and it wasn't really bothering him, but it was going to be an interesting fight as both had very different styles and were considered the best in their own Kingdoms plus they were both so passive and cool it would be fun to see them get agitated.

Levi's lips flicked up a little as he moved his eyes from Mikasa and over to the crowd, immediately closing in on Eren and Mia on the bench. When Eren met Levi's eyes he cheered with the rest of the crowd and held up Mia's little arms in the air to make it look like she was cheering too, Levi snorted at the sight of Eren waving his daughter's hands in the air but it made him feel more confident.

"Wait, who are you cheering for?" Armin said with a grin and Eren blinked and then started laughing.

"Both of them?" Eren tried with a smirk while Armin rolled his eyes.

"Whatever it's win-win either way" Eren teased and then leaned in to whisper the rest in his friends ear, "endless taunting and blackmail if he loses and awesome victory sex if he wins".

"Eww, Eren, way too much information" Armin grumbled while Eren snickered.

"This is actually going to be pretty well-matched" Hange said interrupting them, her eyes narrowed at the two on the field now squaring off against each other.

"Seriously? Mika's good but Levi's totally got this" Eren said making sure he spoke low enough so it didn't carry to his sister.

"Levi is better, true, but he's also spent the last month inside caring for a baby while Mikasa has been training" Hange said with a grin.

Eren thought about that for a moment and watched as Levi moved into the last of his stretches, he was moving a little slower than he usually did but even slower than usual was still much faster than a normal person.

"It's kind of like the battle against the tired aunt versus the exhausted father" Eren teased making Hange snicker.

"Yeah, a long way from humanity's strongest and the fearsome Marian princess, that's for sure" Hange laughed, they were interrupted however when both Levi and Mikasa stopped any movement and raised their fists to signal they were ready. 

A loud cheer rang out from the crowd and then it went silent, waiting for one of them to make the first move. 

It took about thirty seconds for one of them to move, Mikasa had been shifting her feet a little closer with her eyes set on Levi and her hands raised in fists. Levi just stood motionless and to an untrained eye he was doing nothing more than standing in the open and waiting but Eren had trained with Levi and he knew better.

He watched as Levi tracked Mikasa, his eye's watching as she moved her feet and his own fists adjusting slightly to match hers. It was subtle but Eren knew that Levi was on top of his game, no matter that he was exhausted beyond belief and probably needed to spend two days asleep he was focused on his opponent and he was going to win. He was moving his body in time with hers and waiting for her to move, his patience having no limit right now.

Mikasa eventually got tired of them stepping around each other and striked, an honest smile on her lips, her eyes focused on her opponent and her fists flying steady and true. She stepped inside his reach surely and in a flash of movement she swung her right fist out towards his face while throwing her left up to his stomach, Levi barely moved in response just a shift of his head and a small step but neither punch hit him. Mikasa didn't seemed phased knowing that her hits wouldn't touch him but they had started now and they wouldn't stop until one of them was on the ground. 

Mikasa started sending furious hits in Levi's direction but he was still doing no more than dancing out of her way or occasionally throwing up a hand to block a punch, neither of them seemed to even be extending themselves too much.

It really started when Mikasa let a little smirk slip onto her face, dropped her arms back at the same time she raised a leg and swiped hard and fast at Levi's unguarded thigh.

She had been focusing so hard on his head and upper body that she thought maybe a sneak attack might work. It didn't. Levi reacted like a lightning strike, his eyes tracking as she retracted her fists and moving on pure instinct as he turned his body to face the kick, moving his arms to defend and letting her leg slam straight into his open palms. He gripped her leg and pushed up hoping to throw her off balance but Mikasa, although a little surprised by his reflexes, moved her body with his so the upwards momentum propelled her into the air and she flipped quickly to land in a crouch on the ground.

There were 'oohs' from their audience, everyone's attention rapt on the two ravens in fierce battle as they moved with each other and seemed to predict the others moves before they had happened. Eren grinned at his husband and sister and bounced Mia on his lap a little more, they were a force to be reckoned with and both of them had earned the respect they had, Eren couldn't help being proud of how strong his family was. And if anyone still thought they were tired or out of practice well, each move proved them wrong.

Mikasa attacked again from her crouch on the ground, a leg coming out to swipe at Levi's feet and making him jump back to avoid the collision.

"Getting tired, old man?" Mikasa taunted, her voice low but light as she quickly got to her feet. Levi's eyes narrowed and Eren knew he was rising to the bait, letting the taunt fuel his body and moving into and offensive position across from Mikasa.

"Out of practice there, _Princess?_ " Levi retorted, straining the word 'princess' to sound much worse than it actually was.

"Just warming up" Mikasa said smoothly and moved back in to attack.

Levi was on the offensive now though and her attacks were falling short, she tried to throw punches at him varying her pace and positioning but nothing touched him because he was meeting them mid air seeming to know where she was going to hit before she did. He then blocked a stray right fist with his left, letting her other fist make contact and glance off his bony shoulder probably hurting her more than him- while she reveled for a second in the slight touch Levi kicked his leg out and made solid impact on Mikasa's thigh.

The first solid hit was met with cheers from their audience, Eren sparing a slight wince for his sister while also picking Mia up a little to bounce her in excitement and cheer with everyone else. 

After the first hit everythhing got worse, fists flew faster while their legs kicked out harder and both were moving their bodies so quickly it was giving Eren whiplash to watch. They were incredible to watch in action, no one ever having seen a fight like this and Eren was trying desperately not to wonder what it would have been like if it had been real. He realized then that it wouldn't have been any different, nothing except the end result of both of them walking away instead of just one. There was nothing else in the world for either of them in this moment, nothing except moving faster and reacting quicker, they wanted nothing more than to defeat the other. 

As they watched the two of them fight, Levi throwing his own punches at Mikasa and Mikasa showing off that she could dodge just as well as her opponent, Eren realized that most of their audience had never seen Levi like this and they'd certainly never seen Mikasa. They'd seen Levi training and teaching, running drills and commanding soldiers but nothing like this- the two of them were so blindingly fast that their eyes couldn't keep up and only knew what was happening by the harsh sound of skin meeting skin.

Eren's mouth had dropped open as he watched, in absolute awe over these two powerhouses, Hange was screaming herself hoarse next to him but Eren had no idea who she was cheering for- he thought maybe she was just screaming for the sake of screaming. Armin had gripped his arm after Levi had landed that first kick on Mikasa's thigh and it had only tightened as they kept going, Levi forcing Mikasa to jump up into another flip and then Mikasa making Levi twist himself into the air to avoid a high kick to his stomach.

They had started to sweat as well, beads of glistening sweat running down their faces and seeping into their uniforms as they kept up an endless barrage of hits but they were smiling, too. Mikasa was grinning as she attacked Levi, occasionally letting out a burst of laughter as she made contact with his body or she managed to dodge a particularly sneaky attack. It wasn't just her either, Levi's smile wasn't as noticeable but Eren could tell he was happy, his lips were flicked upwards and his movements were getting faster and more sure as he continued and Eren knew his husband was in his comfort zone. 

Levi was in the place where he felt the most comfortable and he loved it, loved the feeling of power behind his fists and the fierce control he had over his body and the way he could keep going without fail. Mikasa was a worthy opponent and it felt amazing to work hard in order to get in a hit or to have to rely on instinct after she went on the offensive, adrenaline was coursing through his body and there was nothing in the world that felt like this. It was pure freedom.

They continued for almost nine minutes before Eren started to see serious cracks in both of their attacks, Levi was trying to keep up an almost ridiculously fast pace but his exhausted body wasn't going to let it continue for much longer while Mikasa's reaction times were slowing as she felt her body tiring. They descended together, still much faster than most soldiers but nowhere near the level they'd been at before, and Eren could see them both making mistakes.

Nothing big or noticeable unless you were familiar with both fighting styles but Eren could tell that Mikasa's guard was lowering while Levi was letting hits glance off his body rather than use the energy to dodge them. 

It happened in a blur of movement, Mikasa sent a kick flying at Levi's chest, harder than any other and obviously trying to put an end to the fight while she still could but Levi wasn't having it. She moved too fast for him to dodge entirely so instead Levi moved in towards the kick and used the momentum to propel him into her , he crashed into her body and wrapped his legs around her crushing her with the weight of movement and throwing her off balance so that she had no choice but to fall back and to the ground.

Mikasa left out a gasp as the impact winded her, as she fell back Levi wound his arms around her neck in a choke hold and prepared for the crash back to earth. The hit the ground with only a light thud and Levi instantly had Mikasa out of action and unable to move, effectively ending their one on one.

The audience looked on with wide eyes and open mouths, there was no sound for a moment not until Mikasa tapped herself out and Levi let her go and then the roar started. The soldiers went crazy, cheering on their Captain and exclaiming their joy at what was clearly a win for Trost, Armin had actually joined in with the excitement and was cheering with everyone else while Hange was leading some kind of chant.

Eren just grinned and watched as Levi held out a hand to help his sister up, Mikasa offering a smile in return and Levi clapping her on the back - something Eren had only ever seen him do after particularly brutal training sessions with his own squad. Mikasa had fought well and everyone knew it, none of them would have a chance against her, but Levi was almost unreal in his skill.

There was a reason he was called Humanity's strongest.

Eren felt the urge rise up in him and he got to his feet quickly, tucking Mia up on his hip and walking forwards to get to them. Levi was smiling at his victory and it was real and unhindered but as he turned to see Eren and Mia coming closer it changed slightly getting softer as he watched his little family get closer. Winning a fight was a feeling like no other, for a moment he felt invincible and strong, but it was nothing compared to the warmth he felt at seeing Eren and Mia together, safe and well and smiling at him.

Still filled with adrenaline and that rush that comes from winning, Levi felt his composure disappear and his walls come down a little, he walked over to meet Eren and not caring they were practically surrounded by the entire base he kissed him fiercely. Eren reacted just as eagerly, their lips crashing together and reveling in that feeling that only the other could bring to the surface.

The cheers of the crowd turned to wolf-whistles and catcalls as soon as they touched and made the kiss very brief but as they parted Levi didn't back up too far, just reaching out and taking Mia from Eren easily so that he could hold her and feel her familiar weight in his arms.

"That was incredibly hot" Eren whispered, leaning in to Levi's ear and making the raven flush more in a second than he had from the entire fight.

"Maybe we can work in a round two tonight?" Levi murmured back watching as Eren smirked and nodded enthusiastically, not even caring if Levi was referring to a round two from this morning or a round two fight, as long as Levi was touching him it didn't matter.

"You two are nauseatingly cute, you know?" Mikasa teased and Eren turned to his sister, he took a step back from Levi and Mia and went to hug Mikasa.

"You were brilliant" Eren said and watched as Mikasa blushed at the praise.

"I lost" Mikasa said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Doesn't matter" Eren said with a shrug, "you were amazing, Levi was just better".

"Hmm" Mikasa hummed and then smiled turning to Levi, "I always thought the rumors about you were exaggerated, no one could be as good as they said you were but I- ahem, I believe I was mistaken".

Levi nodded slightly in thanks and leaned into Mia, bending his head to kiss the top of hers before looking up at Mikasa, "You fight well, I'd be more than happy to do this again".

"Yeah, I'd like that too" Mikasa said and then laughed lightly, "it's been awhile since I had a good fight".

"Tell me about it" Levi snorted.

 

***

 

 

The whole base took a long time to calm down after that, Levi was bombarded with people congratulating him and clapping him on the back and not even his signature hateful glare could deter them - Eren thought it had something to do with the fact that there was only so much one could do to look angry and vengeful while holding a bundle of cute baby in your arms.

Eren was amused by the whole thing giving up his need to hold Mia for a little longer in order to watch his husband fight against not only those who wanted to commend him but everyone else who wanted another look at Mia. For most soldiers this was the first time they'd gotten to really see the little girl, not counting a brief encounter of Levi walking into the dining hall with her, and she was a hit with everyone.

"She's drawing more people in" Levi sighed as he finally got away and came to stand by Eren. Mia kicked her little legs out and shook her fists in the air as Levi passed her over to Eren, her mood very much improved by all the attention she was getting from her parents.

"Well, she is adorable so it makes sense" Eren said while bouncing her up a little more and hearing her make little squeals of delight, "plus we have been kind of selfish".

"Not selfish... just protective" Levi tried but it only made Eren laugh louder and Mia squeal at the sound. They were interrupted by Eren's friends approaching them and Levi groaning in distress, Eren grinned and turned to the group coming closer.

"Captain! You were awesome! You were all like 'bam!' and 'pow!' and knocked Mikasa right on her ass" Connie exclaimed, his excitement bubbling out and making him talk really fast. Levi raised his eyebrows at Connie and turned to Eren as if to say 'really? _he's_ your friend', Eren could only shrug and listen as the rest of them piled on the praise enthusiastically- all of them except Annie and Ymir.

Annie wasn't a surprise but Ymir staying quiet was, she was smiling and nodding but not really saying anything and Eren focused a little harder on her. She looked tired and worn plus she kept glancing to Mia and away again as if she'd get in trouble looking at her. Eren placed his hand softly on Levi's shoulder, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before getting up and passing Mia back to lie in Levi's arms.

He knew Levi was watching as he walked away and approached Ymir but he was the only one, everyone else too absorbed in reliving the fight one more time. He walked up to the brunette and tapped her on the shoulder, she turned to look at him and Eren thought he saw her wince a little before she controlled her expression.

"Ymir? You OK?" Eren asked, pulling her away from the group but still speaking softly.

"Fine" Ymir said tensely, "just tired".

"Tired? Seriously?" Eren asked, curious as to what she was doing to be so tired.

"Yeah" Ymir said and paused before letting her shoulders slump a little, "I've been checking in on Historia every night".

Historia. The name hit Eren like a punch to the gut. He hadn't checked in on since she'd had Mia, hadn't talked to her or barely asked after her and he'd been told very little being too wrapped up in his new baby.

"Fuck" Eren cursed, worry running through him, "is she OK?"

He knew it wasn't enough, knew she wouldn't be OK but he had no idea what else to say.

"She's strong and she's dealing with giving Mia up but..." Ymir said starting out firm but ending unsure, she bit her lip unsure what to say, "I think she's lost". Eren just raised an eyebrow in question and waited for her to continue.

"I think that she's OK without Mia but she doesn't know what she's doing" Ymir continued giving in, "she thinks she doesn't have a place here, that she was only here for you and Captain Levi and that you might want her gone... plus she has me and I don't want her to leave but I think she might want too even though she has no idea where she'll go or what she'll do. She's really confused so she just stays in her room".

"Seriously? Fuck, which room is she in?" Eren cursed, sounding a little annoyed at Ymir's words, "what do I have to do to get her to believe we all want her here if she wants to stay!"

"Guest quarters by the hospital rooms... number 12" Ymir said and eventually smiled, knowing that when Eren wanted something he was going to do everything he could to get it. Ymir grinned as Eren turned to walked away and towards the guests room finally believing that she would get to keep Historia with her a little longer.

 

***

 

Eren didn't hesitate when he got to Historia's door just closed his fist and knocked hard. It took a few moments before anything happened, Eren was getting ready to knock again when the door opened and Historia peered out. Her eye's widened when she saw Eren and she closed the door a fraction before taking a deep breathe and opening it all the way to let him in.

Historia went back to her bed and sat down quietly while Eren dragged a chair over and sat down opposite her, his face serious when he looked up to meet her eyes.

"How could you think we didn't want you to stay?!" Eren exclaimed taking Historia by surprise at his intensity, "we love you here, Historia, Levi and I will never be able to do enough to thank you, our friends miss your face and Ymir? That girl is more in love with you than ever!" 

Eren took a steady breathe and leaned in to take Historia's little hands in his own, "Stay with us here, if you want too. Join the cadets next year or come and work for me at the surrogacy agency, fuck you can do nothing and just wander around base reading books and sleeping and no one will care... because you're you and no one will ever tell you to leave here".

Historia was blinking back tears at Eren's words and she had started to shake, she wore only a white shift over her slight body and her hair was messy from sleep, her face pale and tired but as she raised her eyes to meet Eren's they looked bright and hopeful.

"Y-you don't want me to l-leave?" she whispered, not quite believing her own words.

Eren rolled his eyes and sighed, "of course, you idiot, we want you here as long as you want to be here... we'd even like for you to get to know Mia if you want too, you can be a part of her life here, as well".

At that Historia burst out crying and Eren moved in so she could rest her head on his shoulder and cry harder, he brushed his hand through her hair to soothe her using the same voice that he used to get Mia back to sleep. She quietened after a moment and Eren smirked at the idea that the same techniques worked on Historia too.

"I think the hormones made me crazy" Historia sniffled, finally managing a smile, "I knew you and Levi didn't want me to leave but I doubted it, I doubted you two and Ymir and our friends... I'm sorry I was so stupid".

"You're forgiven" Eren teased lightly making her laugh again, "I was serious, you know?"

"About what?" Historia asked.

"Working for me at the surrogacy agency... you would be such an asset there. You can talk to the girls through personal experience and help vet candidates on both ends, you're smart and sensible and honestly I would love to work with you there" Eren said, liking the idea more and more with each passing moment.

Historia smiled and thought about it before nodding, "I'll think about it, I promise, but I'd like to work with you too, Eren".

"Yes!" Eren exclaimed and Historia giggled again, looking so much healthier now she wasn't worried anymore, "OK, so first go shower and clean up and then meet us for lunch".

Historia nodded and then froze, "Is, uh, is Mia going to be there?" she whispered.

"Only if you want her to be" Eren answered seriously, "Levi can take her for lunch if you're not ready to meet her yet".

It took a few minutes for her to answer but when she did she looked strong and set on her choice, "no, that's OK, I'd love to meet your daughter properly".

Eren grinned and hugged the little blonde tighter, "you're going to love her, she's so cute! Oh, and she has Levi's nose!"

"Wait, seriously?" Historia giggled and Eren nodded.

"Yeah, wait til you see it, it's all cute and curved like his" Eren teased while Historia laughed harder.

"I can't wait" she said and actually sounded sincere.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feedback me lol I love off that shit :D


	47. Way Down We Go

Mikasa was breathless, she'd been running laps for hours now, her thighs burned and her heart pounded but she felt good. Her whole body felt alive with adrenaline and the rush that she only got when she exhausted herself after a run. She never had the time to run like this in Maria, her time always consumed by official duties or watching her father, but for her Mia had been born at the perfect time. She needed a break, a little time away from the craziness of home so she could see her real family and spend time with people who loved her and wanted her around.

She knew leaving her father at home with only Pixis, Brzenska and Dok was a risk but she couldn't be there anymore, she'd needed space to breathe and regain an idea of what was actually considered normal. She knew now that she needed to take the throne from her father as soon as she could, they couldn't leave him in power for much longer not ifshe wanted to keep her family safe and intact. But she was postponing as long as she could, being here in Trost with her brother and his family was exactly what she needed to calm down enough to take that next step in overthrowing her father.

She should have been home a week ago but she couldn't make herself pack up and leave her family. Mia was growing every day and she didn't want to miss any more of her niece's life not to mention being with her brother. She stood up straighter and sighed as she looked around the training grounds, letting a smile lift her lips as she noticed Eren and Mia. They were spread out on the ground under a tree close to where Levi was training with his squad, Eren had laid out a blanket on the ground and Mia was wriggling around on it while Eren talked with Historia and Armin.

Eren was in close conversation with the two small blondes, his hands gesturing wildly as he grinned and nodded enthusiastically as his eyes periodically went from them to Mia to check on her. His face was bright and he looked so relaxed and happy that Mikasa almost didn't recognize him, she'd never seen him so happy before not even when she'd first visited him months ago. She paused and just watched her brother engaging with his friends, his hand had strayed to Mia's tummy where he was rubbing it subconsciously and making his daughter coo and giggle. He looked so much more comfortable now than he ever had, his smile was natural and easy as he sat with his friends and watched both his daughter and his husband.

Mikasa felt her stomach ease a little as she watched him, she felt so much better now that she knew her brother was happy, healthier than he'd ever been in Maria and being cared for by Levi and living happily with his new family. She only felt a small amount of jealousy over the fact that her brother had achieved such a level of happiness without her, she knew he still loved her and wanted her in his life but he'd found new people, a new family, that filled the whole that had been left when Eren had been forced away from Maria.

Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by familiar yelling and she couldn't help but sigh as she turned towards her guards. They were standing about ten metres from her and arguing again, the three of them raising their voices so much that Mikasa could make out every word. It didn't make any sense just the usual round of name calling and blame but the three of them were so involved this time that they looked like they were close to blows.

They'd been rowdy and uncooperative ever since they'd left Maria and Mikasa and Armin had been forced to play peacekeeper around them. Her regular guard had been sidelined for this particular journey, one of them finding out she was pregnant and not up for a long journey, another coming down with a serious flu and not able to ride and the last in the midst of rebuilding his family home after it had been burned down in an accidental fire.

She'd had to take on new guards but they weren't turning out great, two of them, Hitch and Daz were good soldiers but not very friendly and the third, Nac Tius, was nice enough but not particularly sharp. The worst part was that the three of them couldn't spend more than twenty minutes in each others company without bickering, meaning that Mikasa had to put up with constant snarking and insults.

As they got closer together and their voices got a little louder Mikasa started to jog over in order to stop them. They were being disruptive and unprofessional and in all honesty giving all Marian soldiers a bad name, especially on a Trost Military base.

"Oi, idiots" Mikasa called out coldly as she approached. They all snapped quiet and turned to her, Nac going a little pale as he met Mikasa's eyes and knew they were in deep shit.

"Your Highness" they muttered and Mikasa restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

"You three are representatives of Maria" she started, meeting their eyes and lowering her voice, "and you are acting like children. You are embarrassing yourselves, your country and your future Queen. Now, if you do not want to be sent home in disgrace, I'd suggest you lower your voices and start acting like the soldiers you should be".

"Yes, Your Highness" they said back quickly, each of them looking scared and a little panicked.

"Just go back to your training" Mikasa said and stopped herself from sighing when one of them shot another a cold look, "separately. Go."

And that was all it took for them to split into three different directions and start running, jogging away from Mikasa and each other in order to go back to their individual training- Mikasa made a note to increase the amount of team exercises they did and work on their attitudes. She watched them until they were in the distance and then turned around, her eyes went straight to Eren who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow, she shook her head in answer but headed over anyway.

It looked like Levi was on break now as he'd broken away from his squad and was crouched down next to Mia, an unbelievably soft look on his face as he gathered his daughter in his arms and sat them both down on the blanket before starting to rummage through a large bag.  Mikasa arrived at the same time Levi pulled out a little bottle and shifted Mia a little in his arms so he could feed her properly.

"Hey Mika, everything OK?" Eren asked lightly and Mikasa let a frustrated groan slip from her lips as she dropped to the ground to join the little group.

"That good, huh?" Levi said dryly from his spot on the blanket, only looking up to meet Mika's eye before looking back to Mia.

"I have idiots for soldiers, I swear Mia's probably smarter than the lot of them put together" Mikasa grumbled, Eren snickered at his sister while Armin frowned in agreement knowing first hand what those three soldiers were like.

"They can't be that bad" Historia offered kindly but Mikasa just gave her a look and Historia raised her hands in defeat but she did smile and flick her eyes to Mia.

"I promise you they are" Mikasa said stiffly and then shook her head trying to put them out of her mind, "so what were you three up too?" she asked looking from her brother to Armin and Historia.

Taking the hint Eren just grinned and filled the silence, "Surrogacy Agency, Historia's agreed to help us out and if she likes it she's going to come and work for me when it's up and running".

"Really?" Mikasa said in surprise and looked to Historia who was blushing slightly in embarrassment. Mikasa had to give the girl credit- if she'd done what Historia had she would have fled so fast, she would never have been able to happily sit on blankets with the parents of the child she gave away let alone go and work for one of them. 

"Yes, really" Historia said coolly and met Mikasa's eyes with determination, "I want to stay here and if I can help another girl through something similar than I want too, it's an amazing experience and I have first hand experience so I want to put it to good use".

"I think that's really great, Historia" Mikasa said earnestly only serving to make Historia blush deeper, "I'm so glad that you've found what you wanted here".

There was a moment of awkward silence before Eren coughed nervously and continued, "we were just discussing what we need to do to actually get it up and running. Armin thinks we need to start finding parents while Historia thinks we need to start with finding girls willing to work for us but I was going to say that I think we need to just start with a name".

Historia giggled as Eren finished with a grin, Armin just sighed and rolled his eyes while Levi wasn't even listening- too wrapped up in feeding Mia.

Mikasa grinned and said, "I think a name is an excellent place to start".

"Fine, a name first" Armin said with a grin while Historia nodded and smiled widely.  There was silence as everyone just kind of looked at each other blankly none of them having any idea where to start.

"What about Yeager Surrogacy" Mikasa eventually said, trying to start them off and saw Armin nod enthusiastically but Eren and Historia just frowned a little.

"It's OK but I want something that's a little more... well, _more_ " Eren said carefully but Mikasa only nodded in thought.

"Yeager and Ackerman?" Armin suggested but Eren shrugged and looked to Levi, who was still happily ignoring them and spending his break holding Mia.

"Nah, I don't think I really want names" Eren said.

"What about something like Hope and Strength?" Historia suggested only to have Eren look at her with a laugh on his lips, "that sound so much more ridiculously tacky than it did in my head, didn't it?"

"A little, sorry" Eren answered with a grin but Historia just waved him off.

"Fertility for the faulty?" Armin said into the silence with a little smile, it took a second for it to process before everyone was laughing and snorting and completely filling up the silence again. 

"Babies for the barren" Historia suggested after catching her breath, only making everyone laugh harder.

"Pregnancy by Proxy" Mikasa breathed out after catching her breath and wiping at her eyes.

"The Back Up Plan" Eren joined in without missing a beat.

"The Pinch Hitter" Armin suggested with a laugh, setting everyone off again.

They were laughing so hard, so absorbed in suggesting stupid names for Eren's Agency that no one noticed Levi sighing and bringing Mia onto his shoulder before standing carefully and taking the few steps over to where they were doubled over and clutching at their sides.

"You're all idiots" he grouched but his lips were turned up in a little smile and if anyone was paying attention they would have seen that Levi was enjoying their laughter as much as they were.

"Eren?" he continued just a bit louder and Eren finally looked up to meet Levi's eyes and found him holding his daughter out to for Eren to take, "I have to go back".  Eren nodded and held his hands out to take Mia, bringing her close and holding her against his chest still trying to stifle his residual laughter.

Levi leaned in quickly and place a soft kiss on Eren's cheek before pulling back and offering a soft smile then whispering, "As much as I like those names maybe consider 'Scouting Surrogacy'."

Eren lit up at his words managing to nod while Levi stood up properly and walked back to his squad to continue their training.

"What did he say?" Historia said through her giggles.

"Scouting Surrogacy" Eren repeated with a smile, trying the words out on his lips.

"I like that" Historia said with a happy sigh before poking Armin in the shoulder and drawing his attention, "what do you think of 'Scouting Surrogacy'?"

"Nice" Armin said sincerely and looked to Eren, "you think of that?"

"Levi" Eren answered and gestured his head to his husbands retreating back.

"It's kind of like we're looking for people to help but that people want our help too- they're scouting us out and we're scouting them too \- it's cute" Historia said.

"I agree" Mikasa said with a smile, tossing the name around in her head and finding that it did fit really well.

"Scouting Surrogacy" Eren said with finality and grinned as it fell from his lips, it was perfect.

"So, do we go with the parents or surrogates next?" Armin teased to the combined groans from Eren and Historia and a snort of laughter from Mikasa.

 

***

 

She finally had some time alone with Amelia and she was loving it. Mikasa was watching her niece while Levi and Eren ventured into town with Armin and Levi's squad to do a check of his building and to get a sign made up for the front door.

They had both been very nervous about leaving their daughter with Mikasa, not that they didn't trust Mikasa but because they simply didn't want to have someone else look after her and have her out of their immediate protection. The only reason Mikasa had her now was because Eren needed to go into town and Levi wouldn't let him go alone and neither of them wanted to take Mia, so they had few options left but to leave her with her very protective aunt.

They had spent a few perfect hours with Mikasa carrying her niece around the base just holding her and talking to her, telling her stories of her Papa when he was little and more of when he was older. After two hours though she'd started to fuss and Mikasa got to change her first dirty nappy solo (afterwards pushing having her own children to a few more years down the road) and feeding her to try and soothe her.

It worked for a while but closing in on three hours and Mikasa was sure her niece was a perfect example of a daddy's girl, she wanted her parents and nothing Mikasa did could calm her down for more than a few minutes. So when Daz knocked on her office door (Levi's office that she'd taken over as it was fully catered for babysitting) she looked up with relief hoping for news of her brother and brother-in-law's return.

"Your Highness, Prince Eren and Captain Levi have returned but, uh... they, umm" he said and actually blushed pink while he stuttered.

"What is it?" Mikasa sighed, having no time for his apparent embarrassment.

"They asked if you could look after their daughter for another hour" he said quickly and then swallowed noticeably before continuing, "they wanted time alone- they looked pretty _intimate_ ".

"Fuck" Mikasa swore softly and with a casual hand she dismissed her guard and sighed as the door closed quickly.

She rocked Mia a little more as the girl had started crying again and took deep breathes. She couldn't deny her brother this, he'd been a full time father for almost two months now and she knew that other aspects of his life were suffering because of it. She was definitely not thinking about what Eren and Levi were getting up to right now but she could care for Mia for another hour, who knew maybe she would fall asleep?

She didn't fall asleep.

She cried on and off for the next forty minutes and tried every last one of her aunt's nerves. Mikasa was tired and on edge and had so much fucking respect for Eren right about now because if the last two months were anything like her last four hours than Eren was made of much tougher stuff than she was. 

Mikasa was walking around the office, rocking Mia against her chest when the door burst open again and Daz ran in, he was red in the face but his eyes were determined and his face set.

"Your Highness!" Daz called out, "Hitch and Nac are at it again but it's bad this time".

"How bad?" Mikasa said seriously.

"Physical, when I left Hitch had tackled Nac to the ground after Nac had punched her in the face" Daz spilled out, stepping back to the door in order to get them both to move faster.

Mikasa was stalled though. She couldn't leave Mia alone in Levi's office or bring her along being way to dangerous for a baby and stopping her from being able to interfere, but she needed to get down to them.

She looked from Mia to Daz and took a deep breath, she'd just have to interrupt Levi and Eren and explain later. She had no other option but to hand Mia back and go and sort out her idiot guards and try not to kill them for their stupidity.

"We have to go, Your Highness, they're really pissed" Daz pleaded and took another step towards the door.

"Where are they?" Mikasa asked as she took a step towards him.

"Behind the library, there's an empty field we like to train on away from the other soldiers" Daz informed her and started to walk faster.

"Daz, stop. You're not coming" Mikasa said and Daz stopped and turned to stare at her, "I need you to take Mia directly to her parents. Eren and Captain Levi are in their quarters, you will take her straight there, you won't stop or pause or even talk to anyone, you understand?"

Daz nodded and swallowed nervously, Mikasa let out a deep breath and carefully handed Mia over to Daz. She was all wrapped up in her green fluffy blanket but her face was scrunched and red and just waiting to let a howl loose at the slightest trigger.

"I understand" Daz said and took the baby carefully, holding her against his chest and humming softly. Strangely enough she seemed to calm down and she didn't explode instantly the moment she was in a strangers arms.

"Straight to Eren and Levi" Mikasa warned, "you take even one step in the wrong direction and you'll regret it".

Daz nodded and turned around to walk in the opposite direction towards the living quarters, Mikasa watched him go her shoulders tense and her heart pounding but she had no choice but to go the other way, walk turning into a run as she sprinted outside and towards the library.

She found Hitch and Nac alone brawling violently on the ground, they were far enough away from everyone else that no one had noticed something was wrong and Mikasa was the first on the scene. She saw them and actually let a growl loose, jumping into action and using her strength to pull them apart and hold their collars like naughty children.

They stopped for a moment in shock giving Mikasa enough time to quite literally throw Nac a meter away and Hitch a meter in the other direction, both landing hard on their ass and looking back at her with wide eyes. Hitch was sporting a black eye and split lip while her breathing was heavy and looked painful meaning Nac got in a few good punches to her ribs, Nac meanwhile had an obviously broken nose with blood dripping down his chin and onto his shirt, his shirt was ripped and dirty and his face pale.

Mikasa stared them down for a minute before she spoke, when she finally broke the tense silence she spoke in a menacing voice full of danger and venom.

"I won't hear it" she snarled, "I don't care why you decided to be insufferable morons, I don't care why you decided to break Nac's nose, I don't care why you punched Hitch in the eye. I care that you two are the most irresponsible, asinine soldiers I have ever had the displeasure to meet".

Hitch and Nac were watching her with wide eyes, Nac had stopped trying to keep the blood at bay and was just staring at Mikasa as she very calmly stripped him of any sense of adequacy.

"You two are on probation, you will not speak to each other out of official duties, you will not leave your rooms outside of training and meals and you will only accompany me back to Maria after which you will be properly punished and most likely stripped of any privileges you currently have. It will be a long time before either of you see active duty again, you are an embarrassment to Maria and to me" Mikasa said viciously, her vision having turned red as soon as she had encountered them.

"But-" Hitch tried and winced as she cracked her lip open and blood oozed over her lips and down her face.

"No" Mikasa snapped, "medical for you two and then straight back to your quarters, I don't want to see either of your faces for the next 24 hours".

They could only nod and stand up on wobbly feet, Mikasa watched as they retreated from her and walked towards the building catching the curious eyes of all the surrounding soldiers. She couldn't believe how stupid they had been, fighting on a foreign Military base and causing a scene so embarrassing she was having trouble not sending them back to Maria instantly to let her father deal with them.

She did however have enough calm to know that was a terrible idea, they were stupid but not evil, they didn't deserve whatever her father would dish out.

Mikasa then returned to training, she needed to run and clear her mind. Mia was safe with Eren and Levi by now, her guards were being handled and patched up and she'd had a long morning. She started with stretches and then moved into her usual routine, the longer routine that usually took a good four hours to complete and finished with running until she wanted to stop.

She'd been running for an hour when she heard hoofbeats, she turned in confusion towards the front gates. The only party that had left had been Eren and Levi's and they had returned hours ago, she had no idea who could be coming onto base now, surely another party hadn't left base today as well.

But no, it wasn't another party. Mikasa watched with wide eyes as familiar faces rode onto base and came straight for her, Eren waving his hand at her in greeting and Armin smiling happily from his seat.

Mikasa was frozen, her thoughts running a mile a minute and also not at all. Eren and Levi were back now but Daz had said they had returned hours ago.

Daz who had told him that Hitch and Nac were fighting behind the library.

And Daz who she'd given Mia too.

"Mika! Hey, where's Mia? You get tired of her already?" Eren called out happily as he dismounted and hand the reigns over to a stable boy, Levi close behind him and looking intently at Mikasa's face.

"Mikasa? Hey, Mika?" Eren said, his voice growing with worry as she didn't respond.

"Mikasa" Levi snapped, walking right up to her and placing a solid hand on her shoulder, "where's Mia?"

And Mikasa knew.

She knew why she had three new guards with her, she knew why they had been fighting so much, she knew why Daz had come to her instead of any other soldier much closer than she had been and she knew it had all been planned.

"She's gone" Mikasa whispered horrified realization, her heart felt like it had stopped beating as she watched Eren's face drain of all colour and Levi's grip on her shoulder turned painful.

"Gone where?" Levi gritted out and Mikasa felt her heart break at the pain in his voice.

"I think our father has her" she breathed out, her eyes locking with Eren's and trying to express all of her regret and pain in one look. If only she'd never let her go, she should have never have let her out of her sight.

"How long ago?" Levi ground out seriously.

"Six hours" Mikasa said, "they have six hours on us".

"We need to leave" Eren said, "we need to leave right now".

And they all moved as one, turning towards the stables and starting to run to the horses. They needed them tacked and ready to go.

They all had a few very long days ahead of them.


	48. Sound The Bugle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soo sorry this has taken so long to update it was really hard to write!! But it's done now and this chapter is super long so hopefully that makes up for the huge wait :P  
> I hope you like it :D

The alarm sounded and the base exploded in a flurry of movement.

Eren was tackinganother horse faster than he thought possible, Levi was already swinging up into his saddle with a look of fierce determination on his face, Mikasa was pale but moving just as fast, getting on another horse and staring out into the distance intensely.

Eren couldn't really process what was happening- the only thought going through his head was 'Mia's gone, Mia's gone' and the only feeling thrumming through his body was panic. He needed to be riding out of the gates again, he needed to be riding faster than ever before just so he could get to her, he needed his daughter back right now and nothing was going to get in his way.

He could hear the alarm in the background, he didn't know who'd set it off but it was loud, soldiers streaming from the barracks or running from the training grounds to find out what was going on. Erwin was walking quickly from the front door towards them with Hange close beside him, they were the only thing stopping Eren from swinging into his saddle and riding through the gate- they might know something.

Levi, however, didn't seem to care that his commanding officer was almost right in front of him, he was gathering the reigns in his hands and trying to make his way out of the stable and to the front gate. 

"Levi, stop" Erwin called out but Levi didn't look at him, didn't seem to even be listening.

"Levi, please, wait a moment" Hange exclaimed, running to him and clutching his leg, "we need to talk this over... we need more information".

"No, I don't care" Levi said sternly, his eyes leaving the front gate to glare down at Hange and flick over to Erwin, "I need my daughter back and I'm leaving right now". 

He said it with such force that Hange pulled her hand back and nodded, Eren looked at Levi and felt the tension leak out knowing that Levi was on a mission- and Levi never failed a mission. They were going to get her back... maybe not today but Levi wasn't going to rest until Mia was back in their arms safe and unharmed.

Eren nodded and pulled himself up into his own saddle, gathering up his reigns and settling in his seat. Levi and Mikasa were ready to go beside him and Hange had actually moved to get another horse and mount up to follow them out of the gate, Eren glanced around and found that Armin was riding with them as well as Levi's squad. None of them wasting a moment or even stopping to take a breath- only wanting to follow their Captain and get Mia back from Eren's father.

"We're leaving" Eren announced and started leading his horse forward.

"Fine" Erwin said and brushed a hand over his forehead, "I'll find out as much as I can from here".

Levi nodded and started to follow Eren out of the stables, listening to the sound of hoofbeats behind him as their small group trailed after him.

"Just..." Erwin said loudly before he paused and lowered his voice, "get her back and come home safely".

 

***

 

They rode for days only stopping for the horses and to catch a few hours sleep- they would only bunk down for an hour at a time and be riding again as soon as they could. The whole time they rode nobody spoke except to call for breaks and to run through the little information they had.

Mikasa told them what she knew of Daz, Hitch and Nac- whether they were working together or if Daz was alone in taking Mia. Daz was definitely working for Grisha but more than that they could only speculate- Mikasa was pretty sure her three guards were working together and that as soon as she'd sent them to medical they'd met up with Daz and left the base as fast as they could.

They had no idea how they'd gotten out or whether they'd met more guards but they'd guessed that Mia was probably heavily guarded and being taken to Maria by rotation of guards to get her there as fast as humanly possible and making the distance between them even bigger. Also, they suspected it would allow Nac, Daz and Hitch to flee the country and never return.

Levi and Eren ride apart from everyone else, not talking to anyone or each other but stuck inside there own heads with worry over Mia. The whole procession was tense and silent and horrible, they rode fast and almost killed themselves with their pace but at the end of three days they finally saw the outline of Maria on the horizon and knew they were within reach of getting Mia back.

Eren was sick with worry, not knowing what to do with his hands when he didn't have his child to hold or how to cope with the complete lack of crying he'd gotten so used too. He missed Mia's laugh and her familiar weight in his arms, he missed the way she clutched his fingers or pulled his hair and how she looked when she fell asleep. He couldn't think of anything but how he wasn't holding her and how far away she was from him- he didn't know whether she was even safe and healthy or if his father had his hands on her yet. 

He couldn't think straight and he knew Levi wasn't any better.

Levi's face was constantly pulled tight- strained and under pressure and Eren knew he was thinking the same thing as he was. Levi also couldn't look at Mikasa, not speaking when she was telling them what had happened or doing anything except glare at the ground and letting his leg twitch with impatience.  Eren was trying hard not to blame his sister but it was getting harder and harder with each day that went by without getting Mia back, he eventually couldn't meet her eyes or speak to her.

But as the sight of his old home came into view he knew they were close and they needed a plan of action.

They stopped in an empty grove about two hours walk from the Palace and made camp, it was mid afternoon and they needed to talk about their next step and how to get through unseen. The horses were tied up and Armin and Eld went about getting some food ready while everyone else sat in a small circle on the ground in silence. 

Petra was the first to speak, her voice soft and intense as she started to outline a plan of action. It occurred to Eren as everyone joined in and offered there own ideas and altered the plan that everyone present had spent the entire journey thinking about this moment. While Eren had been consumed with worry for Mia and not able to think of anything else they had all been one step ahead trying to figure out how to get everyone in and out safely, Armin and Mikasa were offering everything they knew about the palace from secret tunnels to back doors to unused corridors.

Eren listened closely as they fine tuned every detail, nodding in agreement when a particular idea sounded solid and shaking his head and offering soft words against certain things. He'd grown up in the palace and spending nearly every moment of his life inside, hiding from his father or running around with his friends, he knew it better than anyone else.

They decided eventually on splitting into smaller groups to infiltrate the palace and find Mia faster, they would be faster and less noticeable plus they would be able to cover the palace a lot faster and that if they were discovered they had a better chance of them getting out safely. Eren, Armin and Mikasa would be divided into each group to guide the others through the palace and show them where they needed to go.

From there they split everyone else up so the three groups were relatively even and had the best chance to succeed, Hange and Eld were to go with Eren, Gunther and Olou with Mikasa and Levi and Petra were to accompany Armin. They each had a section of the castle to search and would enter through an abandoned door that Mikasa and Eren used to use to get outside to go and meet up with Armin when they were little.

They made their way into Maria by cover of darkness, the nine of them quick and quiet and easily making their way into the palace without being discovered. Then they waited hidden outside the palace wall until the sun set fully, timing it to Armin and Mikasa's knowledge of when the guards shift would swap and there would be a small gap in time to sneak in through a small gap int the stone wall and run to the little door. 

Eren was quiet as he waited, feeling more twitchy as the time went on, after awhile and as the sun sunk fully behind the horizon Eren turned to watch Levi. His face was set and determined but his eyes looked so far away, as everyone else waited silently Eren extended his hand to Levi and threaded their fingers together.

The rest of their company watched as Eren pulled Levi away from the circle a little so they next to each other- everyone else could still hear them but they had the illusion of privacy. 

Eren dropped Levi's hand but only long enough to engulf him in a hug, it was the first real contact they'd had since they'd found out about Mia's kidnapping and it was needed more than either of them expected. Levi returned the hug immediately crushing his body against Eren's and both of them sighing a little in relief as some of the tension fell away, if only for a moment.

"I'm going to find her, Eren" Levi muttered, his voice hard but Eren could hear the underlying anxiety there.

" _We're_ going to find her" Eren whispered back and pulled away for a moment, he looked down and locked his eyes on Levi's before leaning in and pressing a firm kiss to his lips, "we're going to find her and bring her home and never let her out of our sight again".

"Never" Levi said firmly, "not now or ever again... and no more babysitting".

"Definitely not" Eren agreed and felt a small smile tug his lips up even through the stress, "she'll have to get used to the idea of having her father's follow her everywhere from now on... we'll be the most aggressive shadows ever to stalk a girl".

"She'll get used to it" Levi said and his own lips ticked up in a small smile very similar to Eren's.

"She's OK, we're going to see her soon" Eren sighed and rested his head on Levi's shoulder feeling the anxiety build up again.

"I promise we are not leaving Maria without her" Levi said strongly and Eren nodded knowing Levi wouldn't go back on his word, not when it concerned their daughter.

 

***

 

As the guards started to change they stole through the gardens and along the side of the building in silence, their hoods were up and their boots silent as they made their way to the door that Armin had mentioned. It was hidden behind a sheet of ivy and vines but Mikasa approached it first easily pushing the foliage aside, she leaned her shoulder against the wood and pushed in to help ease the stiff door open.

She opened it wide enough to let them through and then held it open for everyone to file inside. Levi was the last through and nodded slightly to Mikasa as she closed the door behind them and let the darkness swallow them as they started walking through the passageway.

Levi walked at the back of the group with Armin and Mikasa in the lead and everyone else in between, he did however keep a close eye on Eren- he wasn't coming all this way to get Mia back only for something to happen to his husband. It was only when they reached the other end of the corridor that he realised he actually had to break away from Eren now, that they had to separate from each other in order to find their daughter.

Mikasa was about to open the next door and peer out when he let out a little choked noise of protest. 

Everyone turned to stare at him, expressions ranging from worried to panicked but slowly fading when they saw he was staring at Eren with an intense panicky look on his face. Eren was the first to turn at the noise and when he realised what Levi was thinking he only smiled softly and walked over to him, and even with Levi's squad and his best friends watching Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and lowered his head to place a promising kiss on his lips.

"We're going to find her and go home together" Eren whispered.

Levi nodded and shook his head slightly, "just promise me... promise me you'll come back to me safely".

"Only if you promise me the same" Eren murmured sincerely.

"I promise" Levi replied and Eren kissed him once again.

"Then I promise too" Eren whispered.

"Well, as sweet as this is, we really have to get a move on" Hange said with a cough after a few moments,  Eren broke away from Levi, his face burning crimson but his eyes intense and not looking too embarrassed.

"You all know what to do?" Armin asked trying to move the attention away from Levi and Eren, there were eight nods of agreement and then Mikasa opened the door to peer outside and look around.

The door opened into the basement, a hallway away from the kitchens and a couple of floors down from the ballroom and dining halls, and with one last look at Eren Levi, Petra and Armin went first to go down the hall straight ahead- Armin leading him up to the left wing to search from the top down.

Mikasa paused before she flung her arms around Eren and whispered, "we're not leaving without her".

Eren nodded and patted her back but didn't say anything, still hurting over the idea that it was partly Mikasa's fault they were here at all, Mikasa's eyes crinkled slightly and Eren knew she must understand what he was thinking because she took a step back, set her face in determination and led Gunther and Olou out after Levi but going in the opposite direction.  Eren took a deep breathe and gestured to Hange and Eld to follow him out of the room as well but Hange stopped him before he could leave.

"It's not her fault, you know that, right Eren?" she said softly and Eren sighed but nodded.

"I know... I just- I can't get passed it until she's back in my arms" Eren replied in a whisper.

"Just don't hold it against her- she would do anything, go through anyone to get that little girl back to her family" Hange said and placed a firm hand on Eren's shoulder.

"I know, I promise I won't" Eren said and then gestured to the door, "we'd better go".

 

***

 

The palace was silent, only the guards on shift pacing around the hallways and servants going about their usual tasks. For Levi it was almost too easy, Petra and Armin were small and inconspicuous and the three of them had no trouble making their way to the left wing and up the staircase to search.

It was only a half hour later when they hadn't discovered anything that Levi started to despair, what if Mia wasn't in the palace? What if Grisha had sent her somewhere far away? What if something bad had happened to her on the journey here?

"Levi, do you hear that?" Petra whispered as they hovered in a dark hall close by the large ballroom where Eren and Levi had danced at their wedding.

It took Levi a moment to concentrate but when he did he heard a familiar voice and rage flooded his body. It was Grisha.

"... do something about-" his voice was fractured and Levi could only hear snippets, "they'll be following-", "need to keep them out".  Levi saw red. Grisha had his daughter, he knew it, could feel it in his very bones and as he crept closer to the room Grisha's next words only made Levi more certain.

"My granddaughter will stay with me... I'll teach her everything and when the time comes she'll ascend the throne... my _children_ will no longer be welcome here" Grisha said, his voice sounded oddly rough like he hadn't slept much and it was cracking through his words.  No one spoke back and only then did Levi think that maybe Grisha was alone- alone and talking to himself. 

"Is he alone?" Levi whispered over his shoulder, glancing back at Armin.

"Probably... this was happening a lot before we left" Armin replied tensely, "I caught him talking to himself a lot, the guards are always there but he's definitely holding a conversation all on his own".

Levi shifted closer to the door sliding along the hallways to peer around the corner, surprisingly there were only two guards standing outside both of whom looked young and inexperienced. They looked no older than Levi's recruits and from how they stood and conducted themselves in the few minutes that Levi watched, they were nowhere near as well-trained.

One was leaning her back against the wall and yawning widely while the other was running fingers through his hair and shuffling on the spot like he had to go to the bathroom very badly. Levi rolled his eyes- if any of his soldiers had acted like that they would have regretted it instantly but for the moment their lack of training was going to favour them.

Levi turned back towards Armin and Petra and they nodded, Armin stopped in his spot and backed right up against the wall trying his best to disappear while Petra stepped forward towards Levi. The two of them would take out the guards and clear the way into the room before Armin would join them and then go first, they were hoping that his appearance would startle the King enough to let down his guards and give Levi and Petra a better chance at defeating him. It was also necessary for Armin to check whether or not Grisha had Mia- if he did, Levi bursting in the door would be the worst possible course of action for them and for her.

It took maybe two minutes for them to take the guards down, one to approach, about thirty seconds to silence them and render them unconscious and another thirty to drag them away into the hall where Armin was crouched waiting for them.

Armin followed back to the door and slowly pushed it open so he could peer inside and see what was happening, Levi waited beside him desperate to look but knowing Armin was the one who had to go first and needed to see everything first. Levi felt a tremor run through his body when Armin let out a little gasp and then stepped back.

"What is it?" Levi whispered not able to stop the desperation colouring his voice.

"He has Mia" Armin said softly and Levi's eyes widened, "he's holding her".

Levi froze. Grisha had his dirty, filthy hands on his daughter. He was holding her and talking to her and Levi had to reign his anger in or he'd have burst through that door in an instant. And then the worst and yet the best noise Levi had ever heard rang through the door- Mia was crying.

Levi almost let out a sob of relief at hearing his daughter's voice even though it was a cry- the same cry she let out when strangers tried to hold her for the first time or something scary happened and it frightened her. She was alive and unharmed but at the sound of her cry Levi stepped forward to the door, only Petra and Armin's hands on his shirt stopping him from running inside to her. 

It had been too long since he'd heard her voice and now she was so close and yet he couldn't go to her straight away and it was killing him.

"Arlert, you had better get in there right now" Levi hissed through gritted teeth and Armin nodded.

"Captain, breathe, she's in there, we found her" Petra said trying to soothe Levi but it wasn't working, nothing would work except the weight of his daughter in his arms.

"I'm going in... please, wait for the right moment" Armin said and eyed Petra who nodded in agreement- her nod promising to hold Levi back until it was the right time. They had a plan worked out for this scenario- Armin would go in and talk to Grisha, try and get Mia away from him and safe before Levi and Petra would burst in and take Grisha down.

Waiting outside was one of the hardest things Levi had ever had to do, Armin had stood up and straightened his shoulders before opening the door and striding in like he belonged there. Petra still had a solid hand gripping Levi's shirt to stop him from moving as well and together they were crouched down by the door, ears straining and waiting for a sign- Armin said he would try and go in, get Mia and take her outside but Levi had no faith in that plan, he doubted they would be able to get out of this without some kind of physical confrontation.

They didn't hear a signal. They did however hear Grisha starting to yell- he was yelling and cursing and it was all directed at Armin. Levi and Petra heard everything clearly from their spot and with each curse and accusation they readied themselves to go inside. Levi stood and crossed to the other side of the door, Petra positioning herself next to him and together they waited until Grisha was mid-rant before they took a deep breathe together and burst through the door.

 

***

 

Eren was running through the castle, not caring if anyone saw him, with Hange and Eld in close formation behind him. They had been on the bottom level looking through empty offices and workrooms when they heard the shouting- Eren had flinched and paled at the sound but only for a moment before he had started to run towards it. If his father was yelling, it meant something had happened and it wasn't good- he knew in his heart that Mia was there and he ran as fast as he could to get to her.

Hange and Eld cleared the way for him, knocking anyone out of the road who tried to stop him and running just as fast to keep up with him. When he turned the corner closest to the ballroom the voice became shockingly clear and Eren froze at the words- he was yelling Mia's name, yelling accusations and blame- and Eren knew he'd never heard his father sound this unhinged.

He glanced to Hange and Eld and they looked equally as unsure but before he could move forward someone crashed into his back- he turned and saw Mikasa's face inches from his own.

"She's in there" Mikasa said, her eyes almost wild and expression determined.

"I know" Eren replied quickly and helped her to stand up straight, Olou and Gunther joined Eld and Hange and before the siblings could do much but stare at each other the other four has nodded between them.

"We're going in" Hange said strongly and stepped forward to face Eren, "but we need you two to stay here".

"Wha-?!" Eren gasped.

"You need to stay here, your father is already beyond mad and the sight of the two of you will make everything worse" Hange reasoned, "if we want Mia out safely, her best chance is for you to stay here".

Eren was about to say something but Mikasa grasped his shirt and nodded, "we'll stay here- you just make sure you get her out".

"Promise" Hange said and the four of them ran into the ballroom, drawing their weapons as they went.

"We can't stay here" Eren cried in anger trying to get to the door but Mikasa held him.

"I know that" Mikasa said, "do you trust me?"

Eren paused for only a moment before he nodded, "of course".

"Then follow me" Mikasa said, she grabbed his hand and the two of them ran out of the corridor, down the hall and toward another door at the back of the ballroom.

 

***

 

Levi was staring at the man holding his daughter while rage coursed through him. Grisha stood in front of him screaming, spit was flying out of his mouth, Mia was screaming bloody murder at the noise and Levi had never felt more calm. He had a mission, his daughter was right there and at the sight of her father she had squirmed desperately and heightened her cries in order to get to him.

Armin had backed up behind Levi and Petra as Grisha's guard swarmed around him and Mia, they didn't look entirely sure of themselves though and Levi knew they were second guessing what was going on here. They were obviously nervous around Grisha knowing that he'd lost the plot completely, he was holding Mia too tight against his body and she was wriggling desperately her little arms straining towards Levi.

The guards were glancing between Levi and Grisha and Levi thought that maybe they'd guessed enough to know that Mia being with Grisha in Maria was not agreed upon by her parents. They were wide eyed and unsure and Levi knew they'd be easy to take down, they may not even fight very hard at this point- Levi knew his reputation, he knew his squad's reputation and he was sure that at least one of those guards had a child and would definitely know what Levi would do in order to get her back.

"Stand down" Levi growled, his voice snapping through Grisha's incessant yelling and straight to the guards who all took a step back, "you have one chance".

He glared at them and saw their resolve shake, two of them lowered there swords while the other six looked to each other for guidance but Grisha's shouts ran through them and their fear of their king outweighed their fear of Levi. Their mistake, Levi thought calmly while he raised his blades and took a step forward.

Before he could take more than two steps the doors behind him banged open again and he turned only long enough to see the familiar faces of his squad barging through the door to line up beside him. Grisha had paused mid scream to take in all of the people now opposing him, his hair hung long and loose, his eyes were wild and searching and his arms held Mia even tighter causing the little girl to cry louder for her parents.

"Sir, what do we do?" Petra said softly beside him.

"He could hurt her if we get closer" Hange said and Levi nodded.

"The guards are undecided" Gunther muttered and gestured to the eight guards in front of them.

"Doesn't matter either way" Eld said, "they're easy targets".

"Time consuming though" Olou supplied and looked at them.

"We distract the guards while Levi gets to Grisha" Petra said softly but firmly, "and then we follow and secure Mia".

Everyone nodded and as a unit, a unit that had trained hard and long for years now, they ran forward and engaged the enemy without hesitation. They were so fluid that they broke the guards ranks in less time than it took for them to even take a swipe, Levi ran right through them trusting that they would hold the guards while he went for his daughter.

Grisha's face was stained red but it looked haggard and wild and his eyes were jumping frantically from Levi to Mia, anger very obviously overtaking him as Levi came forward. He was a meter away when he saw Grisha make his decision and Levi froze mid-step, Grisha had shifted Mia to one arm and then pulled out the dagger at his waist and pressed it right against Mia's little body.

"NO!" Levi screamed and thrust his hands out, blades dropping to the ground in a moment of pure panic. Mia heard Levi's voice and her crying paused for a minute to let out a little squeal of delight, instead of screaming at the dagger now pressed against her chest she'd heard her father's voice and squealed.

The sound had made Levi's heart break.

"Please, don't hurt her" Levi said, he had never sounded more desperate, knowing now she was his biggest weakness. She was tiny and fragile and such an important part of his life that he couldn't bear to see her in pain and he knew in that moment that Grisha could win, Grisha could beat Levi purely because he loved his daughter more than he needed to hurt Grisha.

"Oh?" Grisha said with a crooked smile and played with the dagger a little, pressing it against her soft stomach and then dragging it carefully up her body to touch her neck.

Levi flinched but didn't move forward, his eyes trained on that dagger and the way Mia was staring at him, she was completely oblivious to the metal and was actually squirming with delight at Levi being so close to her, her pudgy arms extended and her fingers making grabby gestures.

"It's OK, Mia" Levi said softly talking directly to the little girl, "I'm here, I'm here".

"I think you need to rethink your plan, Captain" Grisha said dryly as he twirled the dagger a little more. 

Levi heard a distinct thump behind him and knew a guard had been put down, he heard footsteps approach and felt Petra on one side, Hange on the other and the rest of his squad surrounding him.

"Captain" Petra whispered, her voice on edge.

"What do we do?" Hange asked softly but Levi shook his head, for the first time in his life he didn't know what to do in a fight. His instinct was to protect Mia but to do that he had to put his squad, his family, at risk.

And then a crash sounded behind Grisha and Levi's head snapped up to see the pommel of a sword colliding sickeningly with Grisha's head and his body falling forward, limp and listless. Levi cried out as Grisha's arm went slack and Mia started to fall forward but she was caught almost as quickly as she fell, tan arms coming to snag her little body from Grisha and pull her away from him.

Grisha collapsed unconscious against the ground and Levi's eyes widened as he saw the slight body of Princess Mikasa standing over him with her arms raised, holding her sword. He turned his head and his mouth dropped open, a relieved sob let loose from his mouth as he saw Eren standing there cradling Mia in his arms.

He ran forward, his eyes set on Mia. 

Eren looked up in time to see Levi collide with him, the pressure of his body against them forcing the three of them to the ground. Levi knelt on the marble floor with Eren as close to him as physically possible and Mia cuddled close between them.

"Amelia, Amelia..." Levi whispered and leaned in to kiss her forehead and brush his fingers through her soft hair.

"I've got you" Eren whispered, "Papa's got you... and I'm never letting you go again".

Levi closed his eyes and just breathed her in, letting the stress and anger ebb away as she gurgled and giggled in their arms. Tears started sliding down his cheeks in relief and he would have cared if it weren't for the sobs now breaking out of Eren's body, he cracked open an eye and saw Eren smiling but crying hard as he held Mia, his own tears streaking down his face as he cried.

Levi moved one hand from Mia to wrap around Eren and rub his back trying desperately to comfort his husband and daughter at the same time. They were finally together, Mia was safe and unharmed and Grisha was down, Grisha couldn't hurt them again.

"No!" an angry voice shouted and Levi raised his head and whipped it around.

He saw a blur of movement and several things happening at once- Grisha had woken and raised his arm, dagger held aloft and throwing with desperate accuracy toward their little family, Petra raising her own dagger pulled from her boot and pegging it toward Grisha and Mikasa moving fast, running between the dagger and it's target.

Levi gasped and heard three thuds in succession, Petra's dagger hit Grisha in the chest, Grisha turned pale and with one last cold look toward Eren and Levi he fell to the side and hit the ground, not to move again. Levi looked around desperately to see where the last thud had come from but he couldn't see anything different- in fact, he couldn't see the dagger at all.

And then Mikasa fell to her knees.

Eren screamed and Mia burst into terrified cries again. Mia was pushed gently into his chest as Eren let her go, he wasn't able to get to his feet as he tried to get to his sister just crawling desperately to where she was still kneeling.

Levi watched as Eren reached her and she fell easily into his arms, her head resting against his chest and her eyes fluttering closed.

"Mika" Eren cried, his arms wrapping around the girl and his eyes focused on the dagger protruding from her stomach, blood seeped between her thin fingers as she held the knife in place and it stained her hands and shirt.

"Mia..." Mikasa whispered, her eyes frantic, "where is she? She OK?"

"She's fine" Eren whispered, his voice breaking, "Levi has her, she's OK".

"Good" Mikasa sighed and a soft smile lit up her pale face.

"You're hurt, you need help" Eren cried desperately, his eyes looking up to try and find something, anything to help his sister.

"Don't worry... you're safe, Mia's safe... that's all I need to know" Mikasa whispered.

"You'll be OK, Mika" Eren begged tears falling hard again and dropping onto Mikasa's bloodstained shirt.

"Just... hold me, please" Mikasa murmured and turned her head into Eren's chest closing her eyes, "It's OK... I don't feel any pain".

"No, please no" Eren cried and tried to move, to get up and do something but Mikasa's fingers found his and squeezed as tight as she could.

"Eren... stay with me" Mikasa whispered and opened her eyes to look at Eren.

"I-I'll stay with you" Eren sobbed, tears blurring his vision but not enough to spare him the sight of Mikasa smiling again and closing her eyes, her fingers loosening around his hand and falling away.

"No, no, no" Eren cried, his hand running through Mikasa's hair and his tears spilling so hard that he couldn't see through them.

There was movement around him, guards getting closer and closer. He had no idea if they were on his side or not but he couldn't let Mikasa go. She'd told him to hold her, to stay with her and god help who got in his way.

"No!" he screamed a little wildly, clutching at Mikasa tighter and not letting anyone close... not until he heard a familiar voice close by his head.

"Eren" Levi murmured and Eren turned to him blindly, "Eren, I need you to let her go".

"No, I can't! I won't" Eren sobbed, Levi knelt down next to Eren and placed a hand on each side of his face to hold him steady.

"Eren, they need to take her away" Levi murmured and Eren let out a broken sob at the words.

"I told her I'd stay with her" Eren cried, his tears clearing a little, enough to see that Levi was crying too.

"I know" Levi said and his voice was so earnest that Eren's resolve crumbled. 

With a huge effort he made each off his fingers let go of Mikasa, let his arms lay her head down on his lap and stopped his hand from running through her hair. He cried harder as he let her go, not wanting to believe she was more than just sleeping and that she'd open her eyes at any moment. 

He needed her to wake up and smile at him, one of her reassuring smiles that told him everything was going to be OK- that she would always be there for him. 

But she didn't.

Her eyes didn't open.

Her lips didn't move.

And Eren felt his heart shattering.

It fell into so many pieces he didn't think it would ever be whole again.

Her weight was lifted off him, her hair brushing his pants as she was moved and her fingers trailing along behind her.

Eren couldn't watch anymore. He couldn't see this.

But he couldn't close his eyes and not follow as his sister was placed on a stretcher and walked quickly passed his fathers body. It was too much for him to process but he couldn't do more than kneel in place, his hands covered in warm blood and his lap empty of Mikasa's weight.

Levi said nothing as he wrapped his arms around Eren and pulled him into his body, Eren's head pressed against Levi's shoulder and the rest of him slumping over to let Levi support him.

He had no strength anymore, nothing was left inside him. 

He just felt empty.

Empty and alone.

 

***

 

_Five Days Later_

 

Eren sat alone in his childhood bedroom.

He was sitting in his favorite spot by the window, looking out over all of Maria and doing exactly what he use to- wishing he was anywhere but here.

He'd spent a lot of time in his room the last five days, the only people he let in was Levi and Mia and even then he was quiet and distant, smiling only when his daughter giggled and laughed or when Levi pressed soft kisses to his temple and spoke sweet words in his ear.

They were his only comfort today and as he sat by his window and watched the world move along as usual he wished they were with him. But things had to be done and Levi had taken Mia with him this morning, letting Eren have a moment alone with his thoughts.

He'd thought he'd wanted that, had asked Levi softly to let him have it, had felt OK when Levi nodded in agreement and whisked Mia out the door with him- he was so wrong. The world was pressing in on him and he was struggling to escape- he hadn't cried since that day and couldn't find the emotion to cry now, he had been wrung dry and left out to hang, not knowing what he was supposed to do now.

He heard the door creak open and turned to see Levi stride in holding Mia. He was dressed in his formal Military uniform, the very same one he'd worn when they were married and then again when they'd danced the night away- he looked handsome and strong but his face was set in a frown and his eyes looked tired and sad. Mia was curled happily in his arms, she was wearing a cream dress that fell past her toes made of lace and the finest stitching Maria had to offer- it was a pity she'd never wear it again.

Mia giggled when she saw Eren watching her and Eren smiled in turn although it didn't really reach his eyes, Levi frowned deeper but took in a small breath and steadied himself.

"You ready for today?" Levi asked softly as he reached Eren and handed Mia to him without question, seeming to know on instinct that Eren needed to hold her.

"No" Eren whispered and closed his eyes briefly before standing up, shifting Mia onto his hip and extending his hand out to Levi, "let's go".

They walked together out of Eren's room and down the hall, not noticing as people stopped to bow and offer their condolences, they just kept walking keeping their heads held high and their eyes set on the end of the hall that would lead out of the palace and down to the grounds below.

Mia was playing with Eren's cream cravat as they finally exited the palace and the bright sun hit them with force making them blink and their eyes having to adjust but soon enough they were following the small stone path away from the palace, down a small hill and towards the green field beyond.

A few people trailed after them but Eren barely noticed caught up in how beautiful the day was, it was sunny and clear, the breeze ruffling the leaves in the trees and brown swallows dancing through the sky. 

"It's a beautiful day" Eren whispered softly and Levi squeezed his hand.

They followed the path to its end where they were met with a little chapel. Eren remembered how Mikasa and Armin and him had spent so many days running around it playing chasies while the guards tried to get them to calm down and go back to their studies.

Off to the side was a small cemetery, it was surrounded by willow trees with their branches leaning in and covering the grove with shade, letting in little streams of sunlight through the gaps. Only a small number of graves lined the grass with their white marble tombstones engraved with names and dates and words of love. Eren walked closer and his eyes stung with tears- it was strange to think that with all of Maria's grandeur that the one thing they insisted on keeping simple was the royal cemetery.

To Eren it had always meant that even when they died they were just people, no better than anyone else but loved just the same.

He glanced over and saw the earth that had been moved in preparation, it was the plot next to his mothers and Eren had to take in a deep breath to keep himself steady.

He squeezed Levi's hand and walked further in, ignoring the pile of freshly turned earth in favour of his mother's headstone, he let go of Levi and with Mia still held protectively in his arms he knelt down by her grave and sighed.

"Hi, mum" he whispered, "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you in awhile I've been very far away from this place. This is Mia, she's so beautiful and smart and I like to think she looks just like you- I wish you could have met her, you would have loved her just as much as I do".

Eren paused for a moment and then continued softly, "I miss you every day and on days like today I need you more than I need to breathe, I don't know what to do or how to feel and it's too much for one person to feel even once in their life but here I am again".

Eren struggled to take in a deep breath and smiled when Mia placed her pudgy hand on his cheek in comfort, "Anyway, I just wanted to say I love you and that I miss you and that if Mia grows up to be even half as kind and decent as her grandmother than the world doesn't stand a chance. I love you, mum".

He felt a steady hand on his shoulder and closed his eyes briefly before turning his head and smiling at the girl standing behind him.

"You shouldn't be down here" Eren said softly but he couldn't help smiling at her.

"You needed to be here and I needed to be where you are" Mikasa said softly as Eren stood and embraced her in a light hug.

"Should you be walking?" Eren asked, worry colouring his voice.

"Probably not" Mikasa answered, "but this is more important".

"I'm glad you're here with me" Eren said honestly.

"Where else would I be?" Mikasa said and moved her hand to take Eren's and squeezed it lightly. They walked slowly out of the little cemetery, Mikasa relying on her cane to help her walk and into the chapel, Armin meeting them at the steps and walking inside with them.

There were no crowds of mourners, no tears or cries of anger, there was only a small silent gathering of people making their way into the church to say goodbye to their King.

Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Mia and Levi sat in the front row of the chapel reserved for family. Eren didn't even know if he wanted to be here, he knew that Mikasa shouldn't, still needing to be in bed resting- only having woken up from her induced sleep 36 hours ago- and he knew Levi didn't want to be there.

But there they all were, needing closure on the man that had hurt them so much.

They sat in a tight knit group, Eren's free hand held by Mikasa and Levi's hand firmly on his thigh, Mia's weight a comforting presence against his chest. He didn't know how to say goodbye to his father, his warden, his captor, the man his mother had loved so dearly- he was so many things and yet Eren didn't know what to do about any of them.

So he stayed silent and listened to the priest talk about humanity and grief.

His father was only human, after all.

When the priest was done and the coffin lifted and walked slowly out of the church, the small congregation waited for Eren and Mikasa to move first- as if pulled by invisible strings Eren started walking, out of his seat and down the aisle and out into the sunlight once more.

They followed the coffin down the stone path, watched as it was lowered into the ground and one by one they picked up a handful of dirt to tumble down over the wooden surface.

Eren and Mikasa stayed in their place as the minutes went by, eventually everyone moved away and they were left alone- Levi having lifted Mia out of Eren's arms to take her back to the palace for her nap.

Still they stood there until Mikasa started to wobble and shake with the strain of standing and then they just folded themselves onto the ground and sat in silence, still holding hands.

"You think this was OK? To bury him here" Mikasa murmured after awhile and Eren paused.

"I don't know" he whispered back, "part of me wanted to leave his body to rot and never look back".

"But?" Mikasa nudged.

"But I think this is what's right" Eren said slowly, "not for the man we knew but for the one our mum's did, for the one mine loved- he must have been a good man at some point if my mother loved him so much".

"He doesn't deserve to be buried here" Mikasa said honestly and Eren nodded in agreement.

"No, he doesn't" Eren said simply.

He looked over the fresh grave and felt nothing, no sadness or anger or guilt just a sense of completion and maybe a little of hope. That one day soon his life would be something brilliant, something filled with love and happiness and laughter- with children running around his feet and Levi always by his side, Mikasa strong and healthy again and maybe even peaceful dreams when he fell asleep at night.

"Let's go home" Mikasa whispered and Eren nodded. They stood up slowly, Eren practically carrying Mikasa to her feet and letting her lean heavily on him, without a backward glance they left the cemetery and returned to the palace alone.

No flowers were left for the old King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK first of all I'm sooo sorry for the angst!! And really sorry for making it seem like Mikasa died :/ (if it helps she just passed out from shock, guards took her away and she was operated on and stitched up straight away- it was painful but not fatal :P)  
> Secondly, if you can't tell I'm winding this story down and it'll probably be finished in the next few chapters :D  
> Lastly, please leave some feedback and let me know what you think :D


	49. For Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for keeping up with me :D  
> This is the second last chapter so we're almost at the end!! Hope you enjoy!!

Levi sighed when they finally came into view, a smile tugging at his lips and a familiar weight lifting from his shoulders. He picked up his pace a little trying to get to them, even if it meant only seconds faster.

Eren sat on a green blanket under the shade of a tree, his cream coloured shirt open at the neck and shifting lightly in the breeze. He looked relaxed and happy, a content smile tugging at his lips and his bright eyes focused on the bumbling shape of their daughter.

She was sitting very unstably on the blanket with Eren's hand resting on her back to stop her from toppling over, she wore a lavender lace dress showing off her chubby little arms and legs, her feet bare and her brown hair curling around her ears. She was babbling in a stream of noise and Levi watched as Eren answered her fondly and passed her the little daisies her fingers were trying to grab hold of beside the blanket.

She had a mess of flowers in her lap and while Eren played with her he was also making something and as Levi got closer he saw the daisy chain Eren's long fingers were threading together. Levi walked a bit slower the closer he got, Eren hadn't noticed he was coming and Levi loved seeing the private little moments Eren shared with Mia.

"That's beautiful, Mia" Eren said lightly as he took the flower Mia offered him, smiling as he extended his hand to place it behind her ear. Mia giggled as Eren ran his hand through her hair and she clapped with excitement before extending another hand to the flowers and making sure to let Eren know she wanted another one. Eren only laughed and plucked another flower for her.

It was quiet up here, in the months since they'd returned from Maria Eren had found a safe little place on the rise of a hill overlooking the training grounds and the rest of base. Levi knew that when Eren had any free time he would gather up a blanket, a book, some food and his daughter and bring everything up here- on rare occasions he managed to grab his husband as well and the three of them would spend hours doing absolutely nothing of importance.

Levi loved it up here and today was no different the sun was out and the wind was ruffling their hair, they had the comforting familiarity of soldiers training in the background and if they were really lucky they would get a bird singing in the trees. Eren still hadn't noticed him, being completely absorbed in Mia plucking petals off her daisy and watching in amazement as the breeze carried them away when she let go.

"Hi there" Levi said softly and watched as Eren turned to him and grinned brightly, his eyes sparkling in a way they only did for him and Mia.

Instead of saying hello though, Eren turned to Mia, leaned in a whispered, "Mia, guess who's here?"

Knowing that someone was talking to her Mia perked up a little and turned in the direction Eren was looking, Levi's heart melting a little when she smiled and clapped her hands again, very obviously excited at the appearance of her father.

"Hello, beautiful" Levi said, walking over and sitting down beside her, bending his head to kiss her on the cheek before turning to Eren, "and hello to you too".

"Hi" Eren breathed out, pausing for only a moment before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Levi's lips, "thought you were busy today?"

"I am" Levi said before moving back in to capture Eren's lips in a deeper kiss, his hand reaching out to cup his cheek and their noses brushing against each other. Eren laughed and broke off the kiss when they both heard Mia starting to chatter her nonsense words, Levi turned his head and found his daughter watching him and holding out one of her daisies.

"For me?" Levi asked and Mia thrust the flower forward a little more.

"It's so pretty, thank you, Mia" Eren said and took the flower from her before Levi could even move, Eren then tucked the flower behind Levi's ear and grinned, "now, you're pretty too".

"Thanks" Levi said dryly and rolled his eyes but turned his head so Mia could see the yellow flower poking out against his black hair. When she spotted it she laughed and clapped and Levi didn't know if he'd ever be able to take it off.

"Did you need me for something?" Eren asked lightly, leaning in and kissing Levi once more before turning back to Mia and resting his hand on the small of her back again as she had started to wobble.

"Yeah" Levi said, "we got a few message for you".

"Really?" Eren asked sounding surprised, "for me?"

"Yeah, well, the first message is more of a report... about Nac, Hitch and Daz so just, try and keep calm, alright?" Levi said gently. As soon as he said the names Eren stiffened, his hand gripping a little tighter around Mia's back and his eyes narrowing.

"Were they found?" Eren breathed out, Levi watched as Eren almost unconsciously moved his hands around Mia and picked her up gently to sit her in his lap with her back against his chest.

"Yeah they were" Levi murmured, "they took Daz and Hitch into custody in Maria- report says your sister is handling it".

"What about Nac?" Eren asked after a moment of hesitation, "you said Daz and Hitch were found, what about Nac?"

Levi sighed and rested his hand on Mia's back rubbing it softly while meeting Eren's eyes and making sure to speak softly.

"He put up a fight, a really violent fight... he wouldn't let them take him in alive" Levi said gently and Eren's face fell in shock.

"Oh" was all he said, he looked confused and shaken up- learning that Nac had died and the others brought into Mikasa's custody was the last thing he had expected this morning.

"Mikasa's handling everything else- we never have to see them again... unless you want too" Levi said and moved his hand to cover Eren's.

Eren hesitated for a moment but eventually shook his head and whispered, "no, I don't want to see them... Mia's safe and home with us and I don't want to see anyone that trusted my father".

"OK then" Levi said and leaned in to press a chaste kiss to Eren's lips, "we won't go but..."

"But?" Eren prompted quietly.

"But the report gave me some more information... when they were taken in Daz got very chatty" Levi said, "he wanted to reduce whatever punishment Mikasa wanted to give him so he spilled his guts".

"He did?" Eren said in surprise, his voice shaking a little.

"Yeah, do you want to know?" Levi asked, he was rubbing his thumb up and down Eren's hand in comfort.

"Yes" Eren said, "yes, I want to know".

"OK, but just take some steady breathes, alright?" Levi said soothingly and waited for Eren to nod and take in a slow, steady breath.

"He paid them... a lot" Levi started, "and fed them a lot of bullshit- Daz was convinced that somehow his King's granddaughter was in danger from us and from Trost, that she was better off with her aunt and grandfather and in her home country where they could protect her".

"But that's- that's crazy!" Eren exclaimed, shaking his head and clutching a little tighter at Mia.

"Tell me about it" Levi said, "but all they had to do was take her from us and get her to the first set of guards and then they'd be set up for life, Grisha had set up false identities, new homes and jobs, anything and everything they could need to disappear and start over... none of them had families or were particularly clever and he targeted them for that, they were the perfect choice for this".

"But- but it's insane! How could they possibly believe that _our daughter_ is better off without us?" Eren ranted, he had splotches of pink on his cheeks and his breathing was getting erratic.

"Breathe, Eren, I know it's insane but they were weak and poor and in a life they hated... I reckon they might have believed any kind of bullshit Grisha fed them in order to get out" Levi said softly.

"He set them up with a new life?" Eren asked quietly, "and they took my daughter away from me and to a psychopath in order to get it?"

"Yeah, they did" Levi sighed.

"Did they really think they'd get away with it? I mean, even if we didn't find her as soon as Mika got home she would have raised hell" Eren said in disbelief.

"Maybe they thought they'd be very far away and hidden by the time that happened" Levi said with a shrug.

"They didn't get very far" Eren said pointedly.

"No, they didn't... apparently they found Daz in a small village on the outskirts of Sina, he was working as a sword for hire and Hitch, well, they found her in the capitol of Shiganshina enjoying the life of a high lady".

"And N-Nac?" Eren asked softly, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Nac was found in Rose district... he uh, well, he had gotten involved in the affairs of the underground- made himself a bit of a target" Levi said quietly.

"Is that how he got caught?" Eren asked.

"Essentially, yes" Levi said, "Petra and Olou were actually the ones to find him".

"Oh, god" Eren whispered.

"It was Petra who did it" Levi said after a moment, he knew Eren wouldn't ask but his curiosity would wear away at him until he knew, "he had Olou at sword point and she had to take the shot... Nac was desperate he would have tried to kill them both to escape, there was nothing good waiting for him back in Maria".

"I'm sorry" Eren murmured, "I never wanted anyone to get hurt".

"I know that" Levi said softly and shifted forward to wrap his arms around both Eren and Mia, "Nac made a choice... a bad one, yes, but it was his choice to make".

"Do you know what's going to happen to Hitch and Daz?" Eren asked softly, resting his head on Levi's shoulder and listening to the small mumbling of Mia against his chest.

"Not yet, Mikasa will send another report after their sentencing but... kidnapping a member of the royal family is serious, they also ran away, lived under false names and ran when we tried to catch them" Levi said, letting go of Eren and moving back, "if they had co-operated at all they might have some hope but at this stage it's probably going to be a long time in prison for them".

"I-I don't know if I like that" Eren said quietly, Levi knew that Eren was angry at them, that he hated all three of them for what they'd done and put their family through but Levi also knew that Eren didn't like the idea of anyone being imprisoned for life.

"Your sister has to be strict... this is the first serious case she's had since she was crowned and she has to set a precedent for how she's going to rule" Levi said and Eren nodded his agreement, "but-"

Eren met his eyes and Levi saw his lips twitch up slightly in a smile, "but?" Eren said.

"But" Levi said and smiled a little, "you know your sister, you know the type of Queen she wants to be and I trust her to be fair".

"Yeah... I trust her too" Eren said and smiled.

"She'll make a good decision, something all of us can live with" Levi said with a small smile.

"It's over now though, isn't it?" Eren asked after a moment, he let out a relieved sigh and Levi could almost feel the tension leaking out of his husbands body.

"Definitely over... we've got nothing left to worry about except the truly ridiculous amount of times Mia cock-blocks us" Levi said with a smirk.

Eren burst out laughing at his words and together they looked down on Mia, who was playing with the daisy chain still sitting in Eren's lap. She'd managed to break the frail chain and was now crushing the little petals in her chubby fingers. They'd realised in the past few months that she had either spectacular timing or she somehow psychically knew whenever her father's were trying to get some and started to cry.

It was routine by now, they'd give her a bath, get her dressed for bed, put her down and they'd take turns reading her a story. Sometimes if they were sick of the books they'd read at least ten times over they would make up stories to tell her, some a lot more real than others and some so fantastic they would both be smirking and laughing throughout the whole thing.

Levi's favorite by far was one Eren told.

He'd tell the story at least once a week, he would never put her to bed straight away for this one, always carrying her straight to the rocking chair in the corner. She would always smell clean and fresh, her skin rosy and soft, and she would bury her head against Eren's chest as if she knew what was coming.

Levi would sit on the floor at their feet, his back against Mia's chest of drawers, his eyes closed and body completely relaxed as he listened to Eren take a deep breathe and start talking. He would tell the story of a young prince, scared and alone except for his two best friends... he would talk of how the young prince was soon promised to a man to be married. How in order to get away from the evil King he would be forced to accept and agree to marry a man he'd never met.

Levi loved the next part the best, Eren's voice always changed to a tone of extreme fondness and love as he spoke about how the prince would walk into the church feeling more scared and more alone than ever before and somehow he would leave knowing that there was hope. Hope in the face of a kind stranger who helped to steady his hand when he was afraid.

Levi would listen to the story the whole way through every time, loving every second of it.

But after story time they would put Mia into her cot, turn out the lights and hope she stayed asleep. They would always spend the next hour or two finishing their work- Levi always had paperwork he needed to finish and Eren was still working tirelessly on getting his surrogacy agency up and running. After a while though, their eyes would get tired and Eren would stand up from his desk and approach Levi. Sometimes he'd sit on his lap and kiss him until neither of them could breathe and other times he would take Levi's hand and drag him up from his seat and pull him directly towards their bedroom.

Most of the time as soon as it got good, they would hear Mia crying. Eren would have a hand down Levi's pants or Levi would have his mouth all over Eren and they would hear a sharp cry from their daughter's room. They would let out a sigh, hope she'd settle but eventually they always had to pull their clothes back on and check on her.

By the time they'd return the other would almost always be asleep on the bed, half dressed and disheveled but fast asleep. They did manage to find some time together in Levi's office while they were on break or when someone commandeered Mia to play with for a few hours but they were both waiting very impatiently for the day Mia would sleep through the night.

Eren was still laughing when Levi focused on him again, he looked so much more relaxed than Levi had ever seen him. Like the news of Mia's kidnappers finally being caught had taken an enormous weight off his shoulders and he was finally released from the last of his father's plans. He looked so young and carefree and Levi loved it, loved the look of innocence and ease on his face and the way his smile met his eyes.

"Oh, you said I had a few messages, right?" Eren asked as he lifted Mia up and put her back on the blanket to crawl around in her mess of flowers.

"I did, the second message is a lot better as well" Levi said with a smile and Eren grinned back.

"What is it then?" Eren asked with excitement.

"Well, we had word from a nice couple looking for you" Levi said and watched as Eren grinned and clutched at Levi's hands in his excitement.

"Wait, really?" Eren exclaimed, "you mean-?"

"I do" Levi said, "they want to meet with you and Historia to talk about surrogacy".

"I can't believe it!" Eren gasped and flung his arms around Levi's neck, "this is it! I can't believe I finally have people interested!"

"And they're really interested" Levi said with a smile, "I heard they were extremely hopeful about this and very intent on meeting you to talk".

"Seriously? When can I go? Can we organize it for tomorrow or dinner tonight?" Eren asked. Levi laughed and placed his hand on Eren's cheek, moving it up to tuck a stray hair behind his ear.

"I thought you might say that so I may have organised for you to meet them for a late lunch today" Levi said.

"Really?!" Eren exclaimed and in his happiness he threw his arms around Levi's neck with a little too much force, tipping both of them backwards and onto the blanket. Eren was resting on Levi's chest, their heads close together and his arms framing Levi's head. Eren was grinning widely and Levi couldn't help but lift his head slightly to meet Eren's lips in a kiss, Levi felt Eren breathe out a soft laugh and kiss him back with fervor.

"Dada" 

They stopped. Frozen in shock at the little words. Together they turned their heads to the side to see Mia watching them with a little toothy smile, sitting up on the blanket and clapping. The didn't dare speak unless it broke her focus and she didn't say it again... they waited, frozen together in place until she giggled again.

"Dada!" she squeaked and Eren gasped.

Both of them sat up quickly, disentangling themselves from each other and rushing to get to Mia- not caring in the slightest that she'd managed to interrupt them yet again.

"What was that Mia?" Eren asked in excitement, scooping her up and getting to his feet to bounce her in his arms, Levi was right behind him with his hand on her arm and a smile on his lips.

"Mia, can you say it again? Dada?" Levi tried and Mia turned to him.

"Dada" she said and gripped his fingers.

"Did you hear that, Eren?! She said Dada!" Levi gasped.

"I know! I know! I heard it" Eren exclaimed and spun around, swiftly turning with Mia in his arms and laughing with excitement. Levi joined in and laughed with Eren, happiness bubbling up in his throat and making him laugh louder than he had in a long time.

"She's talking! Like actual words" Eren said loudly and lifted her up in his arms to bounce her in the air. She was laughing with them now, her sweet little giggles mixing with the deeper laughter coming from Eren and Levi. It felt surreal to Levi as Eren twirled around with Mia, both of them giggling with pure happiness while Levi couldn't help laughing loudly next to them. It was the first time they had laughed properly since they had gotten Mia back and Levi didn't realize how much he'd missed the feeling- the feeling of his stomach constricting and tears falling from the corner of his eyes. He felt lighter than he had in months and thanked the universe once again for bringing him both Eren and Mia.

"We should head back" Levi said lightly after they'd calmed down, "if you want to make your meeting".

"Oh right! Sorry, little distracted" Eren said on a laugh but his face was practically glowing with excitement.

"Come on, you big goof" Levi said and took Eren's free hand after his husband shifted Mia down into the crook of his arm.

"You want to take her? I got to have her all day" Eren asked as they started making the slow walk back to the base.

"Well, if you insist" Levi said on a sigh but smirked at Eren as he passed Mia over. She gurgled a little louder, her fingers instantly grabbing at Levi's shirt and hair as she settled in his arms, her legs kicking out a little with excitement.

"You're happy today" Levi murmured while Mia kicked her legs out a little harder.

"She missed her Papa" Eren said and squeezed Levi's hand tighter.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!!
> 
> Final chapter is going to be posted on 24th of September!! Somehow I managed to finish it on the exact date I started :P


	50. Make You Feel My Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter here we go...

Eren felt the smile creep onto his face as home came into view, he pressed his heels into his horse and urged her to go a little faster desperately needing to get home.

He finally felt happy in a way he hadn't in quite a few months, the news Levi had given him this morning had been hard to hear and yet necessary. It was like waking up from a strange dream and knowing the bad parts weren't coming back... he was finally awake and safe. 

Historia rode close behind him on her smaller bay horse, keeping up with his increased pace eager to get home as well. Because she called Trost Military Base home now too and she had herself figured out for the most part. She had taken Eren up on his offer to join him in his work and following that decision everything else seemed to fall into place in her life.

She was amazing at her job as well, bright and charming and honest. She tended to shock their clients and coworkers initially but everyone who had taken the time to get to know her were easily converted and loved how she spoke her mind and didn't shy away from the truth. She was an essential part of their team and was Eren's main liaison to the few girls he had living there now.

They had been wary of him to begin with but not Historia. They welcomed her like a sister and Eren knew that without her it would have been a lot of hard work and long hours to gain the trust and respect they had in Historia- simply because she was a living, breathing, healthy example of their future. They had three girls living with them at the moment but the couple they'd met with was the first on the other side.

Couples willing to undergo surrogacy were few and far between but never more so than in a businesses early years. Eren had been struggling for months to find couples interested in going forward and while a lot were interested, none were willing to take the first step. Not until today.

The couple they'd met today were exactly what Eren had been hoping for. They were kind and loving and wanted a child more than anything- they had been trying unsuccessfully for the last ten years before giving up knowing it wasn't going to happen for them. They'd told Eren that the week after they'd made their decision to move on had been the night of the ball and Eren and Levi's announcement.

It was only after Mia had been born had they seriously considered going ahead but what with Eren and Levi all but consumed by their new daughter and then the kidnapping it had never been the right time to approach. And when they did Eren and Historia had welcomed them easily and talked them through everything, from each side, so that the hopeful parents knew exactly what to expect.

Everything had been relatively smooth and pain free and they'd parted ways happily, each one of them excited at the prospect of what their future held. They had the promise of another meeting soon and then the expectation that they would get to meet their surrogate as well... which left Eren and Historia the difficult task of deciding which girl was the best fit for the couple.

Eren had one girl in mind. Her name was Nicole, she was a slight 23 year old with red hair and freckles and a chronically ill brother she needed to care for. A baby was the last thing she wanted, a good job and money for medicine was more than enough compensation for those nine months of her life. She was bright and funny and Eren had liked her as soon as he'd met her, knowing she was going to make the right couple completely at ease.

He finally reached the stables with Historia right behind him, they both dismounted quickly and handed over their reins to the stable boy who took their horse away to brush them down.

"I've been thinking about who'd be best" Historia said excitedly as they exited the stable.

"Me too" Eren said with a grin, "I think I know as well".

"Nicole?" Historia guessed and Eren nodded happily.

"She's perfect, right?" Eren gushed.

"Completely" Historia agreed, "best example for the other girls to follow".

"I mean, they'll have to meet but if they're compatible we could probably get started in a month or so" Eren said, his words rushing out of his mouth.

"This is so exciting!" Historia exclaimed, "I'm gonna go tell Ymir".

"Yeah! I have to tell Levi" Eren said, "Bye!"

"See you later!" she called back as she ran from the stables and towards the residential housing where her and Ymir now lived.

Eren watched her go, smiling as he saw her reach her front door and seeing Ymir come out to greet her with a kiss. They had reunited rather quickly after Mia was returned home and moved in together as soon as Ymir and the other cadets had graduated. They now lived in their own little flat with Sasha and Connie on one side and Jean and Marco on the other, the other recently graduated cadets lived in the same building with Reiner, Bert and Annie all having their own places but they'd requested to be next door to each other.

As the sun went down Eren started to make his way back up to his rooms where he knew Levi and Mia were waiting for him. He saw Hange, Erwin and Levi's squad training hard on the grounds, they were all paired up and fighting hard, Petra and Olou with their blades, Eld and Gunther with fists and Hange and Erwin seemed to be fighting a manic battle with both. They were all grinning though and dancing around the other and Eren paused to watch as Erwin landed a blow on Hange just before she swiped his feet out from under him.

He'd never seen Erwin fight before but he'd guessed he must be something pretty amazing and he wasn't letting Eren down, he was quick and agile and seemed to know everything the Hange might do at least a minute before she did. As if, like in strategy he was always at least five steps ahead of his enemy.

Eren waved at them and the six of them made sure to stop and turn to him in response, Levi's squad waved back while Erwin just nodded, it was Hange that dropped her blades and ran over to him in excitement.

"EREN! Are we going to be up and running soon? Levi said you had a meeting with some wannabe parents?" Hange exclaimed, her voice loud enough that it carried back to the others.

"Yeah it went great!" Eren said back matching her excitement, "they're poor with like nothing but their house and jobs to their name but they're good people and I think it's a nice way to start".

"That's incredible! You picked a girl yet?" Hange exclaimed.

"Historia and I are thinking of Nicole" Eren said, his eyes bright and nervous hoping that Hange agreed.

"Oh, she'd be perfect to start" Hange gasped.

"I know, right?!" Eren said excitedly, "we just have to let them all meet and see if they're compatible".

"Excellent! Let me know how it goes!" Hange said.

"Definitely, I'll be needing you anyway for the medical part" Eren said with a laugh.

"Oh right! Man, I'm so excited for this!" Hange said, her voice rising higher the more excited she got.

"Me too! Anyway, I've gotta run... gotta tell Levi how everything went" Eren said but at the mention of Levi's name Hange grinned wolfishly.

"About Levi..." she smirked and Eren paused not sure if he wanted to hear this at all, "you and him thinking of more kids? I like the idea of Levi with children hanging off him at all times".

Yepp, thought Eren, didn't need to hear that one. He felt his face flush red and shook his head quickly before she could say another word, he could however see the rest of them grinning and laughing at the idea and although he hated to admit it Eren loved that idea as well. 

"Hange, Mia isn't even a year old yet... we're not thinking about more kids" Eren said defiantly, he didn't let them know however that in the quiet hours of the night when Mia was finally asleep and his own head was rested on Levi's chest he'd think about it. Think about having a little boy with Levi's hair and eyes or another girl with Levi's slight figure and inhuman fighting abilities - he'd imagine a time in the future where they had a house full of kids running under their feet, most of whom looked nothing like them at all but were happy living with them. 

He'd think about it and smile but as he felt Levi's soft breathing he'd start to worry not knowing if Levi even wanted more kids and then he'd let it go. Like he'd said, Mia wasn't even a year old and besides, he wasn't very old either- Levi still had so much to do for the military, his own surrogacy agency would only take up more time the busier it got and kids should be the last thing he was thinking about after everything that had happened in the last two years.

"Eren? Eren?" Hange said and Eren blinked, realizing someone was talking to him.

"Sorry, spaced out" Eren said with a guilty smile.

"You were totally thinking about Levi with kids hanging off him weren't you?" Hange teased.

"Well, can you blame me?" Eren said trying for teasing, "it's pretty fucking adorable".

"That it is" Hange laughed, "and Eren?"

"Yeah?" Eren asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I reckon Levi's probably been thinking something similar" Hange said with a touch of sincerity. 

"You think?" Eren asked not even worried that he sounded genuinely interested in her answer.

"Well, I may have overheard a little conversation he was having with Mia" Hange teased, "something about a sibling or two to boss around".

"Seriously?!" Eren asked.

"If the way he blushed meant anything when he realized I'd heard him then yes, I'd say he was serious" Hange laughed. Eren just blinked stupidly, a grin spreading over his face at the realization that he might be able to actually have what he wanted. He never thought he'd be the one to want lots of kids but after Mia he didn't think he'd be able to stop, she was so beautiful and she brought so much life to both him and Levi and he wanted more.

He started to let himself hope for more.

"OK" Eren breathed out, still grinning, "I really gotta go then... gotta tell Levi about the thing... and that other thing".

He could hear Hange and Petra laughing behind him, Olou and Gunther snorting their amusement and could almost feel the smiles that were probably spreading over Erwin and Eld's face as he picked up his pace and started running into the building toward his rooms.

He'd talk to Levi. They'd make a plan. Not for another year or so at least but they would plan for the future. Plan children and careers and life... and Eren felt so light and free as he burst through his own front door because he could plan now. There was no looming threat, nothing holding him back, nothing to worry about except small, mundane, everyday things and it was the best feeling in the world.

He found Levi in their loungeroom with Mia on the floor by his feet playing with a set of plastic keys that jingled, Levi was sitting on the floor with a book he was ignoring in favour of watching Mia with a fond smile. He looked up as soon as Eren came in and watched in amusement as Eren rushed over to him, knelt on the floor and moved in to kiss him deeply.

Eren kissed him until neither of them could breathe and they had to break away from each other to get a little air.

"I love you, you know that, right?" Eren breathed out.

"I kinda figured" Levi said with a smirk and pulled Eren back in to kiss him again.

"Do you want more kids?" Eren blurted out, not really worried anymore about Levi's answer.

Levi raised a thin eyebrow but his smile stayed in place, "yeah, you?"

"Definitely" Eren said with a grin, his stomach doing a little loop at Levi's easy answer.

"Not until Mia's at least two though" Levi said, "I can't have the first one finally sleeping through the night only to have a newborn again".

"Definitely plus I need to have a solid few years with just the two of you" Eren agreed, "we really don't need any added stress to our lives".

"Yeah, especially when things have just calmed down" Levi said.

"But when Mia's two? Then we can?" Eren asked with a grin.

"When Mia's two" Levi agreed and Eren couldn't help but throw himself on his husband and kiss him, his arms wrapping around Levi's neck and his legs now on either side of Levi's body. He made sure to move his hands slowly, dragging them up from Levi's hip to his ribs and listening as Levi's breath stumbled each time he applied even the smallest amount of pressure.

"I love her but can we get someone to babysit for like an hour?" Levi managed to breath out, he was starting to get flushed and Eren could definitely feel the hardness in his pants and knew they either needed to stop what they were doing or remove the impressionable baby.

"Whose turn is it?" Eren asked roughly but with amusement clear in his voice.

"Petra" Levi said, "we can take her to Petra".

"She's training with the others" Eren said with a laugh.

"Trust me, she's been at me forever to babysit, she'll jump at the chance" Levi replied.

"Alright then, you get her a blanket, I'll grab some toys and then I'll take her down" Eren said, he shifted away from Levi and turned to pick Mia up, "how about it, munchkin? You gonna give your daddies some privacy so we can finally get some?"

"Eren!" Levi chided.

"What?" Eren laughed, "it's not like she really understands what that means yet".

"Whatever, I'd rather you not tell our daughter her dad's are passing her off so they can fuck in the other room" Levi said and then swore as he realized his words were much worse than Eren's, Eren was just laughing loudly at Levi's annoyance.

"There will be fucking though, right?" Eren teased, his voice a whisper in Levi's ear. Levi let out a long sigh, knowing they really couldn't say much worse than they already have.

"Yes, Eren, there'll be fucking" Levi sighed but smirked slightly at Eren's excitement, "now take her to someone more responsible before we can corrupt her any further".

Eren stood up but bent down to Levi, kissing him softly, "get me her blanket and I'll be back in ten".

Levi rolled his eyes but smiled, "don't take too long".

"Not with you waiting" Eren grinned.

 

***

 

Petra returned Mia after dinner, she was dozing in Petra's arms and wrapped in her blanket when Eren answered the door. He was only wearing his sweatpants not having bothered with a shirt after he and Levi had gotten out of the shower, Levi was still rustling around in their bedroom taking the sheets off the bed and putting their dirty clothes in the laundry basket. Eren gave Petra a guilty smile as he took his daughter off her but she only smiled cheerily in return.

"How was she?" Eren asked, shifting Mia so she was comfortable against him.

"Perfect" Petra said, "we went to the library and then she joined all of us for dinner... she's a very popular young lady".

"I bet" Eren said with a small grin.

"You two had fun, I expect" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow in a very familiar way that Eren knew she must have learnt from her Captain.

"So much fun" Eren said lightly, not caring that his ears had turned bright red, he was so relaxed and happy he wasn't in control of what he was saying.

"I bet" Petra repeated with a smirk and the two of them laughed a little before Petra waved and walked away.

"Come on, Princess, it's bedtime" Eren said softly to his sleepy daughter.

Eren walked her to their bathroom where they had a baby bath set up which Levi had actually started to fill in preparation for her, Eren undressed Mia, passing her clothes to Levi and then lowered her gently into the water, holding her steady. Levi returned a few minutes later after putting Mia's clothes in the laundry and finding new ones for her to wear to bed. Eren smiled softly at him and Levi returned it before going over to them and helping to wash her hair and body, both of them happy in the silence surrounding the bathroom.

Eren dressed her in her soft pyjamas and then sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Levi following them in and pottering around the room, cleaning up clothes and emptying the rubbish while Eren settled into his chair and rocked Mia back and forth to soothe her back in to her doze. When Eren started to talk Levi did what he always did- he stopped cleaning and went to them taking his spot on the floor by Eren's feet and closing his eyes to listen.

"Once upon a time in a far away Kingdom there lived a Prince. He was scared and damaged and although he had his sister and best friend, he felt all alone in the world. His Kingdom was in the middle of a war, a terrible war that started a long time ago, and in order to finally bring it to an end a plan was made. The young Prince would marry a Soldier and bind their two Kingdoms together in an alliance that would bring all of them some peace.

The prince agreed knowing it was the only way to save them all, he didn't know what lay ahead but he trusted that it couldn't be any worse than what he was leaving behind. So he packed his bags and accepted his fate. The Prince was told a lot about his intended husband, he was told he was a legend, a soldier and a great man- that he was the strongest man in the world and that he would be an honorable and worthy match for a Prince.

But on the day of his wedding as the Prince made his way to the church he hoped for only one thing... he wished for the man to be kind.

He walked into that church, holding his breath and clutching at his sister, more anxious than he'd ever felt in his life but as he looked at the man standing at the end he felt, for the first time in a long time, that his wish was coming true.

The Prince was going to get his wish but more than that he was going to get everything he'd never dared to dream of, he was going to get love and happiness and a life full of kindness. He was going to find his place in the world and be surrounded by people he loved and that loved him in return, he was going to help fix both Kingdoms and bring some peace to the world and best of all he was going to become a father.

Because the day that the Prince married a soldier became the second best day in his life... next only to the day his daughter was born.

And after a few bumps in the road the Prince, the Soldier and the little girl lived happily ever after".

 

"Happily ever after, huh?" Levi murmured, his eyes still closed and a smile pulling his lips up, "a few  _bumps_ in the road?" Eren laughed softly and stood up carefully, Mia completely asleep in his arms after his story, he walked over to her cot and put her down gently.

"I can't very well tell her the whole truth now, can I?" Eren said softly as he wandered back to Levi and held out his hand to help his husband up off the floor.

"Yeah... not yet, at least" Levi murmured.

With their fingers laced together they retired to their room, not worried about work or cleaning or anything other than their huge, warm bed waiting to embrace them. Eren fell into bed first with Levi crashing down next to him only seconds later, they both managed to crawl over to the head where their pillows were and slowly slide underneath clean sheets.

"Levi?" Eren whispered into the darkness.

"Yeah?" Levi murmured, he managed to stretch out his hand to find Eren's body and with what little motivation he had left pulled them together so that Eren was lying half on top of him as usual. 

"I was telling the truth, you know" Eren continued softly, "the day I met you? Best day of my life". 

"Next to Mia of course" Levi muttered with a smile.

"Yeah but only just... besides without you I wouldn't have Mia" Eren said softly.

"Me too, Eren" Levi replied after a long pause, he opened his eyes to look over at his husband, "best day of my life too..."

"Next to Mia" Eren repeated only to hear soft laughter from Levi in return.

"That day's going to get pushed back quite a bit if we have any more" Levi teased gently.

"It'll be worth it" Eren said with a grin, his voice getting quieter the closer he got to sleep.

"Definitely" Levi agreed.

And together they fell asleep with thoughts of their future- the idea of more children, more laughter and much happier days to come.

 

 

THE END 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WoW!!! I finished this!!I can't believe I actually finished this :D
> 
> First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who followed this from the very start and everyone else who has jumped in later!! I hope I didn't disappoint you with the ending!!  
> Secondly, I was going to write an epilogue a few years in the future but decided against it  
> And lastly, I decided against it because I'm thinking of doing a sequel :P It'll be nowhere near as long but I want to wrap their stories up a little more (plus write more about Mika and everyone else) so I left it open so I can pick up where I left off :D
> 
> I had soo much fun writing this fic, it was the very first I've ever written and although some of it has been hard I'm so thankful for all the support and kind words from everyone. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think and if you'd be interested in a sequel !! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!!


End file.
